FAQs

Progress exams are similar to a recheck exam and are recommended to make sure that the treatment was effective. There is a nominal cost associated with these exams, but they are critical in making sure that your pet has fully recovered, or may need treatment adjustments

Payment is due at time of service. We accept cash, most credit cards and checks. We also accept CareCredit and ScratchPay.

A drop off appointment is usually offered when we have no available appointments, but feel we can work in your pet between appointments. This does require your pet/animal be left at the clinic until the doctor has enough time to examine your pet. You will be contacted when your pet is ready for pick up. If your pet is critical and there is no time available, we will likely recommend they be taken straight to an emergency clinic.

A Federal law requires that veterinarians establish a valid client-patient-doctor relationship before treating an animal and/or providing medication. Also licensed veterinarians are the only people who can diagnose and treat animal illnesses.

At this time, we do not have the facility or staff to offer these services. We do however offer shave downs for pets that cannot be done at a groomer. This requires sedation +/- general anesthesia, and is a functional cut, not a cosmetic cut.

To provide the best quality of diagnostics and medical treatment. General practitioners are not trained in specialties, and do not always have access to advanced diagnostics/equipment therefore referral is occasionally recommended for the health of pet.

A Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR for short, exists when your veterinarian knows your pet/animals well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions your animal develops.A valid VCPR is required by law to dispense any prescription medications. This applies to ALL animal species. Examination or site visits are required minimum of once per year.

Please take their food away by 10:00 PM the night before surgery. There is no need to limit their access to water at any time.

Majority of pets will be ready to go same day, and a pick up time will be assigned at drop off. We do offer a complimentary night stay if pickup times do not work with your schedule. This needs to be arranged when the appointment is scheduled to make sure an overnight stay can be accommodated.

Spaying or neutering your pets can greatly reduce their risk of developing many types of cancer later in life. Spaying your animals will also reduce/eliminate the chances of your pets developing a uterine infection called a pyometra which can be a life-threatening condition. It may also decrease or even eliminate unwanted behaviors such as aggression or running off. Spaying or neutering your pets is also the only way to do away with unwanted litters of puppies or kittens without placing an extra burden on animal shelters.

We generally recommend waiting until your animal is 4 months of age. We also try to spay animals before they have their first heat cycle because doing so greatly reduces their risk of developing mammary tumors.

We recommend starting at 6-8 weeks of age. It is critical that they receive booster vaccines until 16 weeks of age. Boosters are given every 3-4 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks old.

Parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that is very common in our area. It normally affects puppies, but can also affect unvaccinated adult dogs. This virus affects the GI tract causing severe vomiting, diarrhea and rapid fluid loss. Parvo infection can be prevented by complete vaccine protocols and keeping your pet away from public areas/known contaminated areas until your puppy is fully vaccinated. Parvo can be costly to treat and not all pets will survive even with aggressive medical therapy.

Bad breath, inflamed gums, plaque and tartar buildup, and loose teeth are all of great concern when it comes to the health of your animal’s mouth. If you notice any of these signs, we offer a complimentary dental exam to better assess your pet’s needs. If your pet’s teeth are not in need of a cleaning at the time of the checkup, we can give you recommendations to help maintain your pet’s overall mouth health such as helpful treats/toys, teeth brushing, and other pet safe dental products. Dental exam is required before booking a dental cleaning.

Dogs and cats should be vaccinated annually during a visit with a thorough physical exam to ensure they are adequately protected against the more common canine/feline pathogens. We currently recommend that cats should be vaccinated against Rabies starting at 12 weeks of age then annually. Dogs should be vaccinated against Rabies starting at 12 weeks of age then boostered within one year of the first vaccination then triennially as long as the vaccination does not lapse.

There could be several reasons that your pet is scooting on the ground. Your pet may need its anal gland expressed, need to be dewormed, or have other more serious issues. Please call the clinic to make an appointment. It would be helpful if you could bring a fecal sample to your appointment to check for the presence of worm eggs.

Please call us if you have any questions about your pet having puppies or kittens because cases vary from animal to animal depending on age, size, and the breed of the animal.

This is not recommended as human medications can be toxic to pets. Tylenol is toxic to cats and ibuprofen can cause severe gastric ulcers in all species.

If your pet is otherwise normal after vomiting, please keep them under observation to see if it vomits again. Remove its food for 12 hours and make sure that water is always available. If no more vomiting occurs after 12 hours has gone by, restart their food or feed a bland diet consisting of rice/chicken or chicken baby food. If vomiting continues for more than 24 hours or occurs more than once in 24 hours, withhold food and make an appointment for an exam. If your pet is lethargic, not as active or perky as usual, disinterested in eating, not drinking normally, vomiting blood, got into the trash or may have eaten a foreign object or unusual food, you should withhold its food and call for an appointment. If an appointment is not readily available, we recommend seeking emergency veterinary care.

If your pet’s stools aren’t extremely watery, don’t contain fresh blood, aren’t dark black and tarry, and aren’t associated with vomiting or excessive straining, take your pet off food for 12 hours. Make sure water is always available. After 12 hours you may try feeding a bland diet of cooked white rice and boiled chicken. If diarrhea worsens, you see any of the signs listed above or the condition doesn’t improve in 24 hours, call to make an appointment for an exam. DO NOT GIVE Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate to your pet (especially cats) unless you talk to our clinic first as many products contain aspirin.

You may purchase a product called “Forbid” to sprinkle on your dog’s food. It changes the stool, making it taste even worse. However, you must be consistent. Forbid must be fed to all dogs in the house to prevent them from eating their housemate’s stools. Also try leash walking your dog and keeping the yard picked up.

A cold, wet nose may be a sign of good health in dogs and cats, but even a healthy pet can have a warm, dry nose on occasion. On the other hand, really sick pets can also have cold, wet noses. What does all this mean? Your pet’s nose is not a reliable indicator of your pet’s health.

Puppies and kittens usually reach puberty around six to eight months of age. After this time female dogs usually come into heat twice a year; on average the heat cycle takes about three weeks to complete. Female cats are different; they come into heat seasonally. Cats normally cycle at approximately three-week intervals during the spring, summer, and fall.

Yes, it can still be spayed. However, due to extra bleeding from an increased blood supply to the area, there is more risk involved and it may cost more. We recommend most pets be spayed prior to their first heat. This surgery can be done starting at 4 months of age.

The early series of vaccinations insures a good level of protective immunity in a young puppy or kitten. This is the age when they are most susceptible to many contagious diseases. A series of vaccines are given because it is unknown exactly when your puppy’s or kitten’s antibodies, received from its mom, are dissipating. At this time their own immune system must be stimulated with the vaccines to protect themselves. This loss of mom’s antibodies generally occurs somewhere between 6 and 12 weeks of age. Adult pets will usually need yearly vaccine boosters, but will not need to repeat the series unless they did not complete the puppy/kitten series.

It is important to help your pet associate nail trims with “good things” to look forward to. This association is accomplished by playing with the pet’s feet one at a time, and then rewarding it with food treats. Do not clip any nails yet. Instead, gradually increase the length of time spent holding the foot, start touching each individual toe, then clicking the clipper (a noise that can be scary to some pets), and then clipping a toenail. Do not expect to be able to clip all its nails at the same time or to reach this comfort level within a couple days. Give it plenty of time and treats.

The incision should be clean and dry with no discharge. It should be warm but not hot and not exceedingly painful to a light touch. There will be a slight amount of swelling, but not so much that the skin has swollen around the sutures. The area around the sutures should be pink, not beet red. Do not allow your pet to lick any incision. Please call or text a picture to our main line if you have concerns or questions about the incision.

Yes, you should give all medications prescribed until gone unless otherwise directed. Your pet may look like it feels better, but not be 100% over its illness. If the medication isn’t given until the prescription is finished, the illness may reoccur and it could be worse than it was initially.

A Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR for short, exists when your veterinarian knows your pet/animals well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions your animal develops. A valid VCPR is required by law to dispense any prescription medications. This applies to ALL animal species. Examination or site visits are required minimum of once per year.

We recommend most species be seen by a veterinarian at least once yearly. This allows us to monitor weight and any other changes as well as perform any yearly bloodwork or procedures needed. Older pets, especially ones with certain conditions or diseases, may need more frequent check-ups.

This answer is as varied as the pocket pets and exotic species kept as pets today! Most exotics need at very least: a specialized diet, a specialized cage/housing, specific enrichment for species, different types of lighting, and in many cases extra supplementation. If you are looking to add a new exotic pet to your life please contact Dr. Barry at and she will be happy to send over any care sheets and tips for the species you are considering!

The only types of exotic animals Dr. Barry does not treat are venomous species and non-human primates.

The most common illnesses include: respiratory distress, bald patches or hair and feather loss, diarrhea/change in droppings, runny eyes/nose, and changes in appetite and activity level.

A Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR for short, exists when your veterinarian knows your pet/animals well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions your animal develops. A valid VCPR is required by law to dispense any prescription medications. This applies to ALL animal species. Examination or site visits are required minimum of once per year.

We generally recommend a minimum vaccination protocol protecting against Eastern and Western Encephalitis Viruses, Tetanus, and West Nile Virus. For horses that are exposed to a number of horses throughout the year, we recommend giving a vaccine that includes Equine Influenza, Equine Herpes Virus 1 & 4.

We recommend deworming horses semiannually and rotating between dewormers with different active ingredients to decrease parasite resistance to deworming products. Call us for our recommended product rotation.

We do not feel that there is a set amount of time between visits to float a horse’s teeth. We usually wait until a horse is showing you signs that they need their teeth floated such as dropping feed, losing weight, fighting the bit, and/or drooling excessively.

There are several options that can help a senior horse gain or maintain weight such as having their teeth checked and floated and/or starting them on a senior feed. If your horse is having weight issues, we may draw blood to perform a CBC and serum chemistry panel to check the function of their vital organs such as liver and kidneys. This blood work can be run in house and you can get results the same day. If you have an older horse that is having a difficult time maintaining weight, please schedule an appointment to have your horse examined.

Colic is a broad term for abdominal pain. This can be from the gastrointestinal tract, or any other organ system in the body. Colic normally presents as discomfort, kicking at belly, restlessness, anorexia, and rolling. If your horse appears mildly affected, we recommend hand walking or a short trailer ride to get the intestines stimulated. Please make sure to monitor fecal and urinary output as this could prove important if your horse needs to see the vet. PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR HORSE if you think your horse has colic. If your horse is unable to rise or rolling uncontrollably, please contact your vet or an emergency equine clinic ASAP. Many colics can be treated with medical management, but no diagnosis can be made without a complete examination.

A Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR for short, exists when your veterinarian knows your pet/animals well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions your animal develops. A valid VCPR is required by law to dispense any prescription medications. This applies to ALL animal species. Examination or site visits are required minimum of once per year.

We generally only allow a cow or heifer to strain for an hour before the owner should offer assistance or call us to assist with the birthing process.

A newborn calf ingesting colostrum (first milk) as soon after birth as possible is critical to the calf’s survival. Colostrum contains the antibodies calves need to protect them from disease for the first few months of life. Calves are only able to absorb these antibodies during the first 24 hours of life. It is very important to note that calves absorb more of these antibodies toward the beginning of the 24-hour period than towards the end, so timing is of the essence. We recommend feeding the calf the cow/heifer’s colostrum, a colostrum supplement, or colostrum replacer if it does not nurse within the first 6-8 hours of life and earlier if possible. If you have any questions or concerns about what is best for your calf’s individual situation, please do not hesitate to call us.

If your cow or heifer has a retained placenta, we generally recommend waiting 72 hours before calling us for treatment.

There are several different types of prolapses such as uterine, vaginal, and rectal prolapses. If your cow or heifer calves and prolapses her uterus, call us as soon as possible as a uterine prolapse is an emergency. IT IS BEST TO LEAVE HER where she was found, as movement can cause her prognosis to worsen. There are two types of vaginal prolapses. One is a precalving vaginal prolapse. Cows or heifers with repaired precalving vaginal prolapses must be watched carefully as they may have issues when calving. Post-calving vaginal prolapses or vaginal prolapses in feedlot animals do not require the same amount of observation once repaired, but they may reprolapse. Rectal prolapses in cattle are usually repaired with little issue, but they may require some observation to ensure the animal is able to defecate normally. Remember, a uterine prolapse requires immediate assistance and should be considered an emergency. All other types of prolapses should be repaired as soon as reasonably possible. Fresher prolapses lead to more successful treatment and recovery especially during the winter months. If you have a prolapse of any kind, please call the clinic.

We typically deworm our cow herds twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Please call us at the clinic to discuss deworming options.

We recommend dehorning and castrating calves as soon after birth as possible. It is much easier on the calves to dehorn and castrate them while they are still on the cows.

A Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR for short, exists when your veterinarian knows your pet/animals well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions your animal develops. A valid VCPR is required by law to dispense any prescription medications. This applies to ALL animal species. Examination or site visits are required minimum of once per year.

We recommend that all sheep and goats be vaccinated against Tetanus and Clostridium perfringens Type C & D.

Sheep should be dewormed at least twice a year using a rotational protocol. Goats encounter more resistance issues with intestinal parasites, so please call us for our recommendations. Internal parasites are the most common cause of illness and death in our sheep/goat clientele.

We recommend shearing your sheep prior to lambing and/or before the summer months arrive.