Santa Cruz – Veterinary

Before making the effort to visit a vet in person, you can ask some questions on the phone. You’ll get a feel for the veterinary clinic you are considering by noting how they handle your call. Prepare a list of questions to keep the interview going. Writing down the answers will help you evaluate different veterinary advice. Some useful questions to ask:

1. Has your Santa Cruz veterinary hospital earned and maintained a Diamond Certified rating?
2. How do you handle emergencies – is there someone on call 24/7? Or do you refer to an emergency center?
3. Do you offer pet health insurance?
4. I belong to a pet insurance plan that requires my care providers to be in-network. Are you in the network for my plan?
5. Does your Santa Cruz vet practice treat my type of animal? (cat, dog, ferret, horse, snake, reptile, rabbit, etc.)
6. Can you tell me what vaccinations my animal needs?
7. I have an unusual pet – how often do you see such animals? (ferret, snake, fish, bird, primate, hedgehog, etc.)
8. Can you provide a clear list of costs and expenses for recommended tests and procedures?
9. What are the procedures for preparing for animal surgery?
10. Can you tell me how many registered veterinary technicians you have and how many unregistered?
11. If my pet needs special care, how well do you know the veterinary specialists you will refer me to?
12. If my pet is staying the night, what is night care like at your facility?


It’s best to choose a Diamond Certified veterinarian because all certified companies have passed an in-depth ratings process that most other companies can’t pass. If you want quality from a veterinarian in Santa Cruz County and the greater Bay Area, you can have confidence choosing a Diamond Certified company. Diamond Certified reports are available online for all certified companies. And you’ll never be fooled by fake reviews. That’s because all research is performed in live telephone interviews of actual customers.

If you can’t find a Diamond Certified veterinarian within reach, you’ll have to do some research on your own. If you do, it’s wise to call some references provided by your veterinarian. Keep in mind, though, that references provided to you by the veterinarian are not equal in value to the large random sample of customers surveyed during the Diamond Certified ratings process. That’s because references given to customers from companies are cherry-picked instead of randomly selected from all their customers. So the veterinarians will likely give you a few customers to call that they know are satisfied.

If you do call references on your own, specifically ask for a list of the practice’s 10 most recent customers. This will help avoid them giving you the names of only customers they know were satisfied. Some useful questions include:

• Were you satisfied with the way the pet care visit or problem was handled?
• Would you recommend this veterinarian or veterinary hospital/vet clinic?
• Did you feel that your concerns were listened to?
• Are costs made clear up front? In your experience, do you think the costs are fair?
• Why did you visit the veterinarian? Was it routine care, or a critical issue?
• Were you ever referred to a specialist? Was communication between the veterinarian and the specialist good?
• If you had emergency care after hours, were you satisfied with the availability and the response times?
• Are you still with this veterinarian or are you looking for a new veterinary clinic?
• Do you think that any tests run on your animal were useful? Did you understand why they were run and the outcome?

As a pet owner, you’ve taken on responsibility for your pet’s health. A veterinary clinic you trust can help you manage that responsibility. You’ll have a partner in watching over your animal’s health. In case of an emergency, you’ll know that you can trust your veterinarian to give the best advice for your pet, based on knowing it – and you.

When you plan a visit to the veterinarian, be clear about what you want to accomplish. If you are going in for a routine check up, be sure you understand what that means. Don’t be shy about asking for more information about what goes into that “routine check up.” If the appointment is for a specific problem, think about how you’ll clearly and succinctly state the problem. Mention any changes in eating, appearance, or behavior, since these can pertain to changes in health. Your intimate knowledge of your pet is valuable. Sometimes, the same questions will be asked over and over by different people. Remain calm and try to remember that everyone is working toward getting the best information to help your animal.

Your veterinarian may come up with several different treatment options. If you need to, ask what makes each option different from the others. Find out what each one involves. Will the outcome differ based on the treatment chosen? What are the cost differences?

Most veterinarians provide cost estimates. Try to think about hidden costs and ask if they are included. For example, does the estimate for an operation cover boarding costs for any overnight stays?

Be aware that the estimate your veterinarian provides may not cover all contingencies. In cases where tests are conducted by outside laboratories, the veterinary clinic may not be able to provide an estimate for those tests. Remember to ask if there may be other charges that the veterinarian is not yet able to provide.

Clear Communication With Your Santa Cruz County Veterinarian
Once you’ve decided on a plan for your animal’s care, make sure you understand all follow-up steps. As the owner, what are you responsible for? Do you have to give medicines to your animal? If so, what is the optimal method for giving the medicines? Does the medicine come in a form you find easy to give to your animal? What is the schedule for administering the medicine, and does it vary over time?

If the animal goes in for in-patient treatment such as an operation, how long is it expected to last? If you expect to leave while the procedure is being performed, confirm that the veterinary clinic will contact you upon completion. Make sure that you have contact information for the veterinarian, including after hours contact methods. It’s a good idea to ask what kind of response you can expect after hours.

Veterinarians treat all kinds of animals for all kinds of reasons – preventative care, accidents, diseases, improved production in agricultural animals, accidental poisonings, to name a few. The reasons for veterinarian visits also vary according to the species involved. The following are some of the most common reasons that patients see a veterinarian.

Ear Infections
Ear infections usually occur when bacteria causes inflammation. Other causes include tumors or polyps in the ear, foreign objects in the ear, or trauma, from an auto accident, for example. Ear infection symptoms range from no visible symptoms, to head shaking or pawing at the infected ear, to balance problems. Most bacterial infections are treated by antibiotics. Cleaning your animal’s ears regularly may help prevent infections, but at the same time, too vigorous and frequent cleaning can damage the ear.

Preventative Care
Pets see a veterinarian for routine examination and care, which can include vaccines against contagious diseases. All states require the rabies vaccination. Other vaccine laws vary by state. Routine care can also include neutering or spaying, or follow-up care for more common medical conditions. Preventative care schedules vary based on the species and age. For example, a young puppy may need several visits a year to get all required vaccines, while a dog from one to five years may only require an annual visit, if generally healthy. After five years, more frequent visits may be required to monitor health, especially in large breeds.

Skin Allergies
Pets with skin allergies are prone to itching, licking, scratching, and rubbing. There can be an association to a family history of skin allergies. Pollen from weeds, trees, grass and other airborne sources can cause problems for allergic animals. Mold spores and dust mites, as well as animal dander can also excite allergies. If the allergy source can be identified, veterinarians may be able to inject the allergen into the animal, decreasing sensitivity to the allergen. In other cases, anti-itching treatments are applied. Diet may also contribute, and changes to what your pet eats may be recommended.

Lower Urinary Tract Diseases
Especially common in cats, lower urinary tract disease has no known cause, though there are theories about why it happens, including viruses. Cats with the disease have a hard time urinating, may have blood in the urine, may urinate frequently, or may urinate in inappropriate places. The treatment depends on the severity of the condition, and some require surgery, for example, if the urethra is blocked. In other cases, medicines are used, while in some cases, changes in diet designed to increase urine volume to improve bladder flushing are sufficient.

Intestinal Inflammation
Intestinal inflammation can be caused by parasites, sudden changes in what your animal is eating, or by foreign objects. Signs your animal suffers from intestinal inflammation include not only frequent defecation or runny stool, but also a failure to defecate. Treatment often includes medication and fluids to replace any lost. Change in diet may also be prescribed.

Diabetes
Diabetes can occur in animals, including dogs and cats. In early stages, animals will be very thirsty and hungry. They will lose weight even if eating the normal amount of food and will have lots of urine. Later on, they may lose all hunger and show depression and lethargy. Diabetes can be treated with diet and exercise, though in some cases, insulin therapy is required.

Hypo/Hyper- Thyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough of the thyroid hormone, which regulates metabolism. Symptoms for hypothyroidism include weight gain without increased food, droopy eyelids, flaky skin, dull coat, baldness, and stiff joints. The remedy is thyroid supplements, required for the life of the animal.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when there is too much of the thyroid hormone that regulates metabolism. Symptoms can include weight loss, bigger appetite, poor appearance, breathing problems, heart murmur, lump on the next indicating an enlarged thyroid gland, or hyperactivity. Medication can reduce the amount of excess hormone produced.

Eye Infections
Eye infections show up as redness in the eye, swollen eyelids, discharge, and scratching at the eyes. Eye infections can turn serious quickly, eventually causing permanent vision damage, so it’s best to act as soon as you see signs. Eye infections have many causes, from allergies to conjunctivitis. Treatment depends on the underlying cause but usually requires medications or steroids. 

Accidents
Accidents that trigger a visit to the vet can range from bruising and broken bones to accidental poison ingestion. Vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea may be signs the animal has eaten something he should not have.

Below are some terms you may come across in your veterinary adventures. Use the definitions below to help understand your animal’s issue, but never be shy about asking the veterinarian for further explanation about any term or phrase you would like explained.

abdominocentesis
A method used to remove fluid from an animal’s abdomen. The fluid is most often used to diagnose illness in the animal. 

acute renal failure
The animal’s kidneys no longer function.

Also known as: ARF

anorexia
A refusal to eat or decline in appetite. In animals, often a signal of an underlying medical condition.

bumblefoot
In guinea pigs, condition where a guinea pig’s feet become red, swollen, overgrown, or have sores. In very severe cases, amputation may be required, so quick treatment is recommended. The simplest remedy and preventative is to keep the guinea pig in a smooth-bottomed cage, instead of a wire-bottomed cage, and to keep the environment clean and dry. In cases that have gone beyond the basic remedies, the feet may have to be cleaned and treated and medications prescribed.

Also known as: pododermatitis

caudal
The region on the animal toward the tail, or cauda. The region toward the head is called the “cranial” region.

cloaca
In lower vertebrates, turtles, birds, a tube used to pass body fluids include excrement and reproductive matter.

cruciate
A “cruciate injury” refers to damage to ligaments in the animal’s knee, often signaled by limping or refusal to walk on the leg. Treatment, up to surgery, is required to prevent long-term damage.

Also known as: ruptured cruciate

decubital ulcer
This kind of ulcer appears when the animal has had pressure applied to a specific point for too long – a skin or tissue is lost and a sore appears.

Also known as: bedsore

dystrophy
A phenomenon that occurs when a body part or muscle grows in a way that is not expected, or that is defective.

ectoderm
An embryo has three layers, of which the ectoderm is the outermost. It develops into skin, hair, and nerves.

epizootic catarrhal enteristis
In ferrets, this viral disease attacks the intestinal lining, so that the animal cannot absorb or digest food. Symptoms include watery greenish diarrhea, black stools, weakness, or weight loss. ECE is treated with medication and possible changes to diet.

Also known as: ECE

frank blood
A phrase used to indicate the visible presence of blood. Frank blood is readily obvious to any observer. It may appear anywhere, including in the stool, urine, or vomit.

fungal infections
In fish, fungal infections can attack several body systems, including the brain, liver, and kidney. The Saprolegnia fungus appears as cottony growths on the fish, light grey in color. The fungus appears when dead and decaying organic matter is present in the environment.

The Ichthyophonus hoferi fungus is less common, and symptoms vary by fish species. All fish show small growths, black in color. It is most often caused by infected raw food.

Treatment varies but may include medicating the fish’s water or adjusting salt, calcium, and electrolyte levels, or even raising the tank’s temperature.

glycosuria
A condition where the animal’s urine contains glucose.

heartworm
Heartworm develops when an animal is bitten by an infected mosquito and acquires the parasite Dirofilaria immitis. Symptoms vary based on the species involved, and can include anything from coughing to weight loss and lethargy. Once established, heartworm can be difficult to diagnose or treat, depending on the species. Prevention offers the best approach, and medications are readily available to prevent heartworm.

histology
The medical science devoted to knowing how body tissue behaves.

hot spot
Hot spots occur mostly in dogs, more rarely in cats. They are the result of a bacterial infection and appear as sore, raw spot on the skin where the animal scratches or licks. Exposure to moisture can be one factor that allows the bacterial infection to get underway. Treatment includes cleaning with anti-bacterial ointments and clearing away surrounding fur and preventing scratching or licking so that the spot can dry out.  

Also known as: moist eczema, summer sores

immunization
When an animal is immune from a disease, they are protected against contracting that disease. It’s important to know that if a vaccine fails or the animal does not react properly to the vaccine, the animal is not protected against the disease. A vaccination must succeed to product immunity.

inflammatory airway disease
In horses, inflammatory airway disease shows itself as a loss of energy or performance, along with nasal discharge, mucus in the airway, and coughing. No one knows exactly what causes this respiratory condition, but horses of all types can get it. There seems to be a correlation between horses that spend large amounts of time in dusty stables and the presence of the disease. Antibiotics typically clear the disease.

Also known as: IAD

low passage vaccine
Vaccines are biological products that contain microorganisms designed to prevent animals from contracting the disease contained in the vaccine. A low passage vaccine is used on young animals. The disease in the vaccine has been less weakened than that used in a “normal” vaccine, which may work more effectively with young animals.

lymphocystis
In fish, lymphocystis is a viral disease that attacks both freshwater and saltwater fish. The fish develops growths that look like cauliflower. Sometimes medication is prescribed, but often no steps are taken because the disease does not harm the fish, and the medicine may not be effective.

macular degeneration
A condition of the eye in which the middle of the eye loses its ability to see.

mange
Mange occurs in dogs and cats and is caused by mites. Animals may show patches where lesions occur. If more generalized, manage can be characterized by red skin, loss of coat, or lesions and scales.

Also known as: demodicosis

metabolic bone disease
In reptiles, metabolic bone disease occurs when animals do not have the proper balance of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorous. The disease appears most often in reptiles that eat plants and insects only or primarily. Reptiles that eat whole prey typically do not suffer from the imbalance. Symptoms can include a soft lower jaw, limping, lumps on the jaw, legs, or spinal column, or bowed legs. Treatment can range from changes in diet to supplements.

Also known as: nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism

mucosa
Membrane covering body cavities or passages that are exposed to the air, for example, the nose and mouth.  These specialized membranes often provide diagnostic signs – for example, dryness can indicate dehydration, while yellowing may indicate liver problems.

Also known as: mucous membranes

nephrosclerosis
Hardening of the kidneys.

osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage around joints deteriorates. It is a subset of arthritis, which refers to joint inflammation from any cause. While it is not known what causes DJD to appear on its own, it may appear as a result of other factors, including dysplasia, unusual wear on the joints, as from obesity, or trauma. Treatments are designed to alleviate symptoms, but not to cure the disease. Treatment may include medication, physical therapy, or surgery. 

Also known as: degenerative joint disease, DJD

pandemic
A disease is considered pandemic when it spreads through a large population or across a wide geographical area.

parvo
A viral disease that attacks dogs. It is spread most often through contact with an infected fog or through an infected dog’s feces. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and significant weight loss. Young canines are especially vulnerable to catching it and are more likely to die from it. Some breeds are similarly susceptible, including Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and English Springer Spaniels.

Also known as: canine parvovirus, CPV

pet insurance
Pet insurance provides insurance for cats and dog to reduce the costs of pet health care. Most companies cover only cats and dogs, but one company is available to cover exotics. Pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions and may require participation in a network of providers.

Also known as: pet health insurance

pleurisy
Pleurisy occurs when the membranes lining the inside of the lungs become inflamed.

rabies
A disease transmitted by virus spread by saliva from infected animals. Can be fatal and can pass to pass and infect humans.

raddle
In sheep breeding, a ram is marked with colors on its chest- known as a raddle. These colors are transferred to the ewe during mating.

sympathetic nervous system
In the body’s nervous system, the part of the nervous system that provides the body’s stress response.

synovial joint
A joint capable of  motion.

Tyzzer’s Disease
In hamsters, this bacterial infection appears as watery diarrhea and pain. The hamster may also have hunched posture and not want to eat. The disease is highly contagious, since spores disperse throughout the environment. Treatment includes antibiotics and possibly supplements.

Also known as: Clostridium piliforme

urinary tract infections
It’s not known exactly what causes this disease of the bladder and urethra. Sufferers may have blood in the urine, painful urination, frequent urination, or blocked urine flow. They may also urinate in unusual places. Treatment can be a simple as diet change to moist food or may require surgery for a blocked urethra.

Also known as: Idiopathic Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (IFLUFD), Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC), Interstitial Cystitis, Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS)

vaccine
A biological substance introduced to make the animal resistant to a specific disease. The vaccine often includes substances that are or are similar to the microorganism that actually causes the disease.

ventricular arrhythmia
Characterized by an abnormal heart rate or irregular heart beat. The improper heart beat is caused by bad signals coming from the blood-pumping chambers of the heart, called the ventricles.

vital signs
The vital signs indicate the presence or lack of life. They are temperature, respiration, and pulse.