Veterinary Services

Pet Dental Care For Dogs And Cats In Albuquerque Dog Dental Care **WE ARE NOT PERFORMING DENTAL CLEANING AT THIS TIME**

Valley Vetco in Albuquerque understands how important it is to stay on top of your pet’s dental care. Our helpful, qualified staff can assist in the diagnosis, education, and treatment, of your pets current oral health.

A “prophy” or prophylaxis, is a cleaning and polishing of a pets teeth. It is important to realize that dental disease does not reach a particular level and remain there. As dental disease progresses, the treatment becomes more involved, meaning longer and more elaborate (and more costly) dental procedures. This means that sooner is better than later when it comes to addressing your pet’s dental disease with an appropriate treatment.

Regular professional pet dental care and cleaning is important to maintaining your pet’s teeth. We use modern and safe ultrasound to clean each tooth thoroughly – above and below the gum line. Dental cleanings polish teeth to create a smooth, lustrous tooth surface more resistant to plaque buildup. We also apply a barrier sealant that significantly reduces plaque and tartar formation.

Diagnosis And Treatment Notes:

Treatment depends on the severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Pets undergoing dental prophylaxis may be treated with antibiotics prior to teeth cleaning. Sometimes, deciduous (baby) teeth may need to be extracted during the procedure; if they failed to fall out as a puppy/kitten.

What To Watch For:

• Bad breath
• Difficulty chewing food
• Painful when chewing food or mouth is handled
• Excessive drooling
• Discuss treatment details when your pet is diagnosed with this condition.*

*We do not extract permanent teeth, and we do not do dental cleanings on pets over 4 years of age.

What Are Deciduous Teeth?

Does your dog have a little shark mouth?

Those extra teeth are deciduous teeth. Deciduous teeth are baby teeth that were supposed to have fallen out by the time your dog was approximately 7 months of age.

Although your pet’s extra teeth may look cute, dental problems such as, overcrowding and plaque buildup are results of retained baby teeth.

Deciduous teeth are usually extracted at the time of spaying/neutering. If your pet has already been spayed/neutered, and still has deciduous teeth, talk to your vet about having them extracted to avoid future dental problems.

Valley Vetco in Albuquerque specializes in heartworm disease detection and prevention for dogs. 

What Is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworms spend their adult lives in the right side of the heart and the large blood vessels that connect the heart to the lungs. The adult worms block the heart and major blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs, liver, and kidneys and can grow up to 12 inches long.

Is Heartworm Disease Treatable?

Treatment is risky, expensive, and may not be effective. The approved treatment involves the use of a product containing arsenic, your dog will be kept inactive during treatment, and you will have to keep your dog inactive for weeks afterward – and despite these measures, treatment may not be successful.

Is There Heartworm Disease in Albuquerque?

New Mexico may seem like a dry desert, and many people are not concerned about mosquitoes, however monsoon rains, standing water, and moist places; such as lawns, parks and golf courses are a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

In 2019:

-Bernalillo County (including Albuquerque) had 135 positive cases of heartworm disease.*

-Sandoval County had 6 positive cases of heartworm disease.*

-Valencia County had 53 positive cases of heartworm disease.*

*This only includes number positive cases reported to The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC)

Valley Vetco proudly carries:

HEARTGARD PLUS CHEWABLES, TRI-HEART PLUS CHEWABLE TABS, INTERCEPTOR PLUS FLAVOR TABS,  and PROHEART 6 injectable heartworm prevention in our clinic, and a variety of brands on our online pharmacy.

Does Every Dog Need To Be On Prevention?

At Valley Vetco, we believe every dog should be given heartworm prevention year round. Heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 U.S. states and Albuquerque has populations of mosquitoes all year long.  CLICK MAP TO VIEW

Can I Purchase Prevention Online?

Any dog being put on heartworm prevention should be tested for heartworm disease prior to being put on heartworm prevention and even at regular intervals while on prevention to avoid potentially fatal reactions. At Valley Vetco, we retest every 24 months when purchasing regularly through us, because the quality of our product is guaranteed.

Advantages of purchasing prevention from Valley Vetco:

• Valley Vetco offers manufacturer rebates on 12 month packs of prevention so you save even more money (manufacturers will not honor rebates on products purchased from online retailers because they are not authorized to sell their products.)
• Valley Vetco does not charge a fee to issue a prescription when you purchase products through us (a $15 administrative fee is charged to transfer a prescription to an online pharmacy other than Valley Vetco.)
• Valley Vetco also sells tablets month-to-month so you don’t have to invest a lot of money at once.
• Heartworm prevention manufacturers only sell to licensed veterinarians and therefore only guarantee products that are purchased through veterinarians.
• Valley Vetco only requires heartworm testing every 24 months when prevention products are purchased reguarly through us (because product quality is not guaranteed on prevention purchased from online retailers, testing will be required every 12 months if you purchase outside of Valley Vetco.)
• Should you decide to purchase prevention online anyway, Valley Vetco will transfer a prescription to an online pharmacy for an annual administrative fee. The fee will need to be paid prior to your prescription being authorized. Dogs will also need to be retested every 12 months to make sure the product you are purchasing is effective.

For More Information

Please visit the following websites for more excellent information about heartworm disease and its prevention:

FDA Heartworm Information

American Heartworm Society

Flea & Tick Control In Albuquerque

The professional and knowledgeable staff at Valley Vetco Albuquerque has assisted many pet owners in the treatment and prevention of small parasite infestations in their pets. Valley Vetco is proud to carry Frontline Plus, Frontline Gold, and Bravecto Plus topical flea & tick control products as well as Bravecto chewable flea & tick products.

Protect Your Pet with FRONTLINE Plus Topical Flea & Tick Killer (apply every 30 days)

FRONTLINE Plus has 2 tough killing ingredients. The 1st, fipronil, kills adult fleas and ticks. The 2nd, (S)-methoprene, attacks flea eggs and larvae. They work together to kill all month long.

Plus, it breaks the flea life cycle. By also destroying the next generation of flea eggs and larvae, FRONTLINE Plus gives you the power to help prevent a flea infestation on your pet.

Why Buy FRONTLINE Plus From Valley Vetco?

FRONTLINE Plus is only guaranteed when purchased from your veterinarian. Our staff will be happy to assist you with applying your first dose! We sell single doses if you are not able to afford a 3 or 6 month pack.

CHEWABLE FLEA & TICK PRODUCTS

BRAVECTO Chewable Flea & Tick Killer For Dogs (1 dose given every 12 weeks)

BRAVECTO  is FDA approved and is safe for use in dogs. BRAVECTO starts working within 2 hours of being ingested. Can be used in dogs and puppies 6 months of age and older, weighing 4.4 pounds or greater. It contains the active ingredient, fluralaner that helps treat and control fleas and ticks, and keeps killing for a full 12 weeks!

BRAVECTO 1 Month Chewable Flea & Tick Killer For Dogs (1 dose given every 30 days)

Can be used in dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and older, weighing 4.4 pounds or greater. Same active ingredients as BRAVECTO 12 Week dose, but given every 30 days. This is great to use in puppies that are too young to take BRACEVO 12 week, or for clients like BRAVECTO but cannot afford the 12 week dose.

BRAVECTO Plus Topical Flea & Tick Killer For Cats (1 dose given every 8 weeks)

We now carry Bravecto Plus Topical flea & tick control (fluralaner and moxidectin topical solution) for cats 6 months and older! Bravecto Plus also protects  your cats from heartworm disease, roundworms, and hookworms.

Pet Spaying And Neutering In Albuquerque

At Valley Vetco Albuquerque, we understand that when it becomes time to start thinking about spaying or neutering your dog or cat, you might not be quite sure if it is the right thing to do. If you’re wondering whether you should just leave your dog or cat as nature intended, consider the positive and negative aspects of spaying and neutering before making your decision

What Do Spaying And Neutering Mean?

Neutering is a procedure used to “de-sex” an animal. This procedure has been used to control animal population growth, reduce unwanted sexual behavior in pets, and decrease or eliminate the possibility of certain disease conditions later in life, such as pyometra or infection in the uterus.

Castration is a term used to describe the removal of the gonads (testicles) in male animals. Spaying is a term used to describe the sterilization procedure of females. The procedure of spaying most often consists of removal of both the ovaries and uterus, which is called an ovariohysterectomy. Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia and both involve a surgical incision.

Neutering at Valley Vetco is usually performed on dogs at 13 weeks and older and cats at 16 weeks and older.

Is The Procedure Painful For My Pet?

Dogs and cats undergoing sterilization are under general anesthesia during surgery and do not feel a thing – they are completely asleep. In most cases, pets are back to their normal routines the very next day, although limited activity is recommended for the first week to speed healing.

All surgeries check in at 7am the day of surgery and pets go home that same afternoon. No overnight stay is required.

Valley Vetco also provides all surgery patients with take home pain management to ensure your pet’s lasting comfort during their recovery period.

Spaying And Neutering – THE POSITIVE

• Removes the risk of pregnancy – unwanted pregnancies lead to unwanted puppies and kittens, as well as possible life-threatening delivery complications.
• Makes dogs and cats better pets – rids pet of the desire to mate, reducing sexual behaviors in the home and the desire to wander.
• Keeps dogs and cats healthier – eliminates the risk of certain cancers and life threatening infections.
• Saves money on pet licensing – Albuquerque currently charges a $150 annual premium to license an intact cat or dog.

Spaying And Neutering – THE NEGATIVE

• Pet sterilization – spaying and neutering cannot be reversed.
• May cause weight gain – pets should be kept on a lower calorie diet to prevent excessive weight gain.

Every year about 6-8 million pets enter shelters. Shelters euthanize 2.7 million adoptable cats and dogs each year. The tragedy is that this is unnecessary. Much of the problem could be eliminated by simple surgery: Spaying and neutering operations are performed under general anesthesia and are quite painless. By neutering pets, owners can help lower the numbers of unwanted and homeless animals.

Dog & Cat Microchipping In Albuquerque

Everyone who has lost a cat or dog knows the heartache that families feel when a treasured pet can’t be reunited with loved ones. Years ago, pet owners would track missing animals by tacking fliers to telephone poles or grocery store bulletin boards and then hoping for the best. Today, there is a far more effective, high-tech alternative – pet microchipping.

At Valley Vetco, we believe it is smart for animal owners to make sure pets have appropriate identification collars and required licenses. However, a microchip implant can offer an extra measure of security for families who are looking for a lost animal. Albuquerque residents can find safe and affordable dog microchipping and cat microchipping services at Valley Vetco.

Why Choose A Microchip Implant?

About 12 million pets are brought to animal shelters every year. Of those pets, about 15 to 20 percent of lost dogs without identification are reunited with their owners, according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. Only two percent of cats without IDs find their way back home. Most successful reunions are reported when lost pets have identifying tattoos, tags or microchips.

More than half of all missing dogs implanted with registered microchips were found by their owners as a result of the dog microchipping, according to one pet study. About 38 percent of missing cats with registered microchips were successfully claimed by their owners because of cat microchipping.

What Is The Procedure For Pet Microchipping?

Your veterinarian uses a syringe to insert a microchip just under your pet’s skin, between the shoulder blades. No anesthesia is needed for the simple procedure, and complications are rare. The tissue around the implant normally bonds to the chip within a day to hold it in place. The microchips work for as many as 25 years.

Valley Vetco fills out an enrollment form for the animal registry associated with the chip manufacturer. The information on that form allows the registry to contact the owner when a missing dog or cat is found. The enrollment fee is included in the price of the microchip and pets are be registered in the national microchip database within 6-8 weeks. There is never a charge for updating your contact information with the microchip registry.

Why Get a Microchip at Valley Vetco?

Many clinics and city shelters offer lower pricing on microchips, but their price does not include registering the chip in a national database. And once you pay the hefty fee to register your pet’s chip, you’ll find additional fees to keep the chip active every year and/or to update your information if you move or change phone numbers.

Valley Vetco’s microchips all come with pre-paid registrations and you will never have to pay another registration fee, annual fee, or information update fee again.

If you get your microchip implanted elsewhere, be sure to ask about hidden registration and annual fees.

Is Microchipping Required by Law?

If you reside in the city of Albuquerque or Bernalillo County, your cat/dog  is required to have a  microchip.

Dog And Cat Vaccinations In Albuquerque

Part of being a responsible dog or cat owner is ensuring that your pet has the regular veterinary care needed to keep them healthy and happy. Regular cat and dog vaccinations are critical in protecting your pets against common diseases that can be spread from animal to animal. Valley Vetco Albuquerque offers pet vaccinations at an affordable price to ensure that your dog and cat have the recommended shots to keep them safe from these diseases.

Common Dog Illnesses

• Distemper – A virus that causes sneezing, coughing, discharge from eyes and nose, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. It can be particularly dangerous for puppies and adolescent dogs.
• Parvovirus – A highly contagious virus that cause vomiting and bloody diarrhea. It can also cause lifelong damage to the heart.
• Parainfluenza – Affects the respiratory system, with running nose, cough and labored breathing. It can lead to pneumonia.
• Bordatella Virus – Causes a honking cough, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, and can lead to pneumonia.

Recommended Dog Vaccination Schedule

The distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza are combination dog vaccinations that are recommended at 6 weeks old, with boosters every three weeks until they are 20 weeks old. It is then given annually. The rabies vaccine is given for the first time at approximately 16 weeks and then annually.

Generally, the bordatella vaccination is only given to dogs that are boarded in kennels or stay in other group conditions. The vaccine cannot totally prevent infection from the virus but can lessen the severity of symptoms. Corona virus vaccine is not usually given routinely. However, veterinarians may recommend for puppies or older dogs during outbreaks of the disease. Rabies vaccine is recommended annually.

Common Cat Illnesses

• Feline viral rhinotracheitis – produces sneezing, eye discharge, nasal discharge, fever, loss of appetite and coughing. It can be a very dangerous illness for small kittens.
• Calicivirus – produces ulcers on the tongue, fever and pneumonia. Treatment is difficult, and the disease often spreads to other cats.
• Panleukopenia, or feline distemper – causes vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and dehydration. Treatment can be difficult.
• Feline leukemia virus  – Causes a range of symptoms that can destroy the cat’s immune system. It may not produce symptoms for some time, but re-emerge later with cancer and other severe health problems.

Recommended Cat Vaccination Schedule

The FVRCP vaccine combines cat vaccinations against feline viral rhinotracheiitis, calcivirus and panleukopenia, also called feline distemper. This shot is recommended at 8 weeks, with booster at 12 weeks and 16 weeks. The vaccination is then given annually. The feline leukemia shot is given at 12 weeks with a booster at 16 weeks, then annually. Rabies vaccination should be given annually, as well.

We Are Now Carrying PUREVAX Feline Rabies Vaccine

PUREVAX is is developed with state-of-the-art technology just for cats and kittens. PUREVAX rabies vaccine delivers everything needed to induce immunity without any of the unnecessary proteins or adjuvants. Adjuvants are additives that increase the immune response and may present potential risks to feline patients, such as injection site reactions and chronic inflammation.

All clients will be given a choice between an adjuvented rabies vaccine and the advanced technology PUREVAX rabies vaccine for their cat at time of vaccination.

Licensing

All pets receiving a Rabies vaccination will be given a copy of the Rabies Certificate to be used for a city animal license. City of Albuquerque licenses can be obtained by mail, online, and at the Westside or Eastside shelters. The cost is $6.00 per sterilized pet. No charge for Senior Citizens or Qualified Low Income.