5720 Menchaca Road, Austin TX 78745

Opening Hours : Mon-Fri - 7am to 6pm, 1st & 3rd Sat 8am to 2pm
  Contact : (512) 442-6744

Putting Those Common Misconceptions to Rest

“MY DOG IS SCOOTING HIS BOTTOM. I THINK HE HAS WORMS”
When a dog is scooting it usually means the anal glands are full. This can easily be resolved with a trip to the vet to have them manually expressed. Very rarely it may be a case of intestinal parasites.


“I JUST CLEANED IT WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE”
Using hydrogen peroxide to clean a wound that is superficial (meaning hasn’t broken the skin) is not a problem. However, it should not be used on anything else because it can actually slow healing and/ or make the problem worse. Hydrogen peroxide has no anti-bacterial properties. It should NEVER be used in or around the eyes or in ears. When in doubt the best thing to use is lukewarm water or saline.

“MY DOG HAS EAR MITES”
Dogs very rarely get ear mites. If a dog’s ears are bothering them or if you notice excessive debris in them it is probably a sign of either a yeast or bacterial infection. At Manchaca Road Animal Hospital, we can take a sample of what is in the ears. We then stain it and look at it under a microscope to see which type of infection it is. Then we can prescribe the appropriate medication to treat the infection.

“MY PETS NOSE IS COLD AND DRY”
Contrary to what some people think, this is not what you check to find out if an animal is sick. The only true way to find out if a pet has a fever is to take its temperature with a rectal thermometer.

“I GAVE MY DOG SOME ASPIRIN TO HELP THE PAIN”
Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aspirin and even Pepto Bismol can cause stomach problems in pets. These include vomiting, diarrhea and gastric bleeding. Do not give anything for pain unless directed by your veterinarian.

“MY DOG IS LOSING ALL ITS HAIR. IT MUST HAVE MANGE.”
Hair loss can be caused by any number of medical problems. Some of which are allergies, ringworm, sarcoptic mange, demodectic mange, stress and various types of skin infections. The only true way to treat hair loss is to bring your dog in for an examination and diagnostic testing to find out the cause of the problem so it can be treated accordingly. At Manchaca Road Animal Hospital we take several samples from the hair and skin and run tests to see what is causing the problem.

“MY PETS RABIES VACCINE IS GOOD FOR 3 YEARS”
Every clinic uses different vaccines to protect against rabies. Some are labeled to be given every year and some are labeled to be given every 3 years. Every county in Texas has its own rules as to how often you must update the vaccine no matter how it is labeled. Therefore the best thing to do to ensure your pet is legal is to call your county animal shelter or sheriff dept.

“I HEARD IT’S BETTER TO LET MY FEMALE DOG HAVE ONE LITTER OF PUPPIES BEFORE I SPAY HER” Actually the longer you wait to spay your female dog the higher her chances are for getting cancer. Studies show that if you spay a dog before her first heat cycle she has less than 1% chance of developing mammary tumors. As opposed to a dog that gets spayed at any point beyond her second heat cycle who has a 26% chance of developing mammary tumors. This is why at Manchaca Road Animal Hospital we recommend spaying and neutering your pets at 6 months of age.