Our staff at Bentley Animal Hospital is filled with passionate animal lovers who are here to help you and your pet! They are highly trained and dedicated to making sure that your pets receive the care and compassion every time they walk in the door!
We offer the following services to keep your pets healthy:
Dental Care
Just like humans need dental care, so do our pets. The most common condition seen in dogs and cats over 7 years is oral disease. Owners will mostly notice the bad breath, but dental disease is much more serious than that. It can cause severe discomfort and even damage the heart and kidneys. Therefore, dental care is very important for the health and well-being of your animal.
- Ideally, our pets should get their teeth brushed every day, but as little as twice a week is beneficial. Special toothpastes for dogs and cats are available, which are flavored so your pet should like the taste. Please do not use human toothpaste for your cat or dog as this could upset their stomach. If you have questions about how to brush your pet's teeth, our staff will gladly assist you.
- Dental chews can help keep teeth clean and some are formulated to inhibit the formation of plaque and tartar.
Even with good home care, at some point your pet will probably need a professional dental cleaning by your veterinarian. This is basically the same procedure you go through every 6 months, with scaling of the teeth to remove plaque and tartar, and polishing afterward. Unfortunately, for several reasons we have to place your pet under general anesthesia for this procedure, so it is a little more complicated than for us humans. Because of that, we always recommend a preanesthetic blood panel before the procedure (for older dogs pets we require it) to ensure that your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia.
How often a dental cleaning is needed varies greatly among different animals, depending on the animal itself (some are more prone to problems than others) and the amount of home care you are able to provide. A dental exam is part of every office visit here at Bentley Animal Hospital, and our veterinarians will let you know when a dental cleaning is necessary.
Surgery
We are pleased to offer our clients the highest quality veterinary care. We want nothing but the best for our clients, especially during surgery. It is our goal to make sure that our surgical team is prepared to offer our clients the latest medical procedures. We look forward to learning about the newest medical advances in surgery and actively partake in continued surgical education.
Spay and Neuter
Spaying and neutering are important and necessary medical procedures that enhance the quality of your pets' life. Not only does spaying and neutering have positive effects on your pets' health, it's also vital to controlling the homeless pet population.
Vaccinations
Getting your dog or cat vaccinated is one of the best things you can do to give them a long and healthy life. Apart from the rabies vaccination, which is required by law, your pet needs to be protected against other diseases as well. Which vaccines will be given and when is ultimately up to your veterinarian and will be tailored to your pets needs and lifestyle. However, here is a general guideline for the vaccination policy at Bentley Animal Hospital
Puppies
- At 8 weeks or earlier, your puppy needs its first DHPP vaccine, a combination of five or six different vaccines, of which the most commonly known are distemper and parvo.
- At 12 weeks or 4 weeks after the first vaccine, a first booster will be given, as well as the rabies vaccine.
- At 16 weeks or 4 weeks after the previous one, your puppy will need its last booster and the rabies vaccine, if it did not receive that at the last visit.
Please keep in mind that these are merely guidelines and we will adjust them as necessary for your puppy and its environment.
Adults
- Rabies is required by law and had to be given annually until Alabama approved the 3-year vaccine. Now you have the choice after your dog had at least one 1-year vaccine.
- DHLPP/ DHPP - a combination vaccine that protects your pet against five or six different viruses. Our doctors will decide which one is necessary to provide the best protection for your dog. This vaccine is very important for all dogs and will be given annually in young dogs. When your pet gets older and has been well vaccinated in the past, we will only give it every 3 years.
These are the two vaccines all dogs should receive. Other vaccines, like Bordetella (Kennel Cough), Influenza, etc. are on hand and can be given at your request.
Cats
At Bentley Animal Hospital we use a special line of vaccines for our cat patients. These vaccines do not contain adjuvants, which are chemicals added to most vaccines to increase the immune response. Research indicates that these chemicals raise the risk of cats developing fibro sarcoma, a malignant tumor associated with injection sites. Therefore, we have chosen to reduce the risk to our feline patients by using nonadjuvanted vaccines, whenever available.
Kittens
- At 8 weeks your kitten will need its first FVRCP, a combination of vaccines against several upper respiratory viruses.
- At 12 weeks, or 4 weeks after the first vaccination, it needs to receive a booster vaccine and will also need to be vaccinated against Rabies.
- Kittens that will spend time outside should get the Feline Leukemia vaccine at the same time as the FVRCP vaccines. However, they will have to be tested first to ensure they are not carrying the virus.
Adults
- Rabies - required by law and needs to be given annually, because this cat vaccine is only approved for 1 year.
- FVRCP - a combination vaccine against several upper respiratory viruses. Young cats should be vaccinated every year, but for older cats the frequency may be reduced to every 2 - 3 years.
These two vaccines we recommend for all cats, even the ones kept strictly indoors.
- FeLV - all cats going outside should be protected against Feline Leukemia, but testing to ensure the cat does not already have leukemia is required.
- FIV - we do offer this vaccine against Feline AIDS, but do not routinely give it.
Nutritional Counseling
Bentley Animal Hospital offers nutritional counseling for pet owners of Huntsville, AL and surrounding communities. If you have any questions about your pet's diet or would like more information about your pet's nutritional needs, please contact us today. We can set up a nutrition plan for your pet.
Obesity is a common problem among pets, as it can be easy to overfeed a cute dog or cat that knows how to beg. Being overweight is a serious problem for animals, and can cause real health problems. With proper diet and exercise, all pets should be able to meet their dietary needs and stay within a healthy weight range.
Behavior Management
We offer solutions for a variety of behavioral issues that pet owners are faced with. Behavioral problems can be challenging and frustrating for both pets and pet owners, so it is our goal to work with you towards a solution.
There are many behaviors that can be negative or destructive, and many pet owners feel helpless in bringing peace to their home. We want you to know that we are here to help, and that undesirable behaviors can be corrected.
Boarding
Our boarding facilities offer a 26 cage, air conditioned "dog run" and a 12 cage, air conditioned "cat ward". The dog's walking schedule varies slightly from day to day based on the needs of our guests. However, we guarantee a minimum of 3 walks daily during the week and Saturday. On Sunday, a team comes in to walk, feed, and medicate in the morning, then Pat (Kennel Manager) and Linda alternate weekends on Saturday and Sunday evenings; walking, feeding, and medicating. We have a fully fenced in back yard for the dogs to run, sniff, play and "do their business". We do not allow the dogs to mingle with other guests. Personal items are welcome, however we do supply food, bedding, and toys. Our cat cages can be converted into a 2,3, and 4 cage condo and are cleaned and refreshed twice daily.
Onsite Diagnostics
We have state-of-the-art diagnostic tools that allow our staff to diagnose your pets' condition or illness better. It is our commitment to stay on the cutting edge of diagnostic technology.
Having these advanced diagnostic tools allows us to examine specific areas more carefully and provide a quicker and more accurate diagnosis. We use many tools such as radiology, lab tests, and various other equipment and tests.