Animal Wellness Center of Pontiac encourages all our clients to microchip their pets, even if they live entirely indoors—this is because even indoor pets can escape and become lost. Unlike collars and tags, microchips can’t fall off and they serve as permanent identification for a pet’s entire life. Microchips are also rated for 25 years, meaning they never need to be removed or recharged during your pet’s lifetime.

Microchipping a pet is simple, relatively painless and very affordable. Once implanted, authorities only need to scan the chip to locate your information. But remember: a microchip is only useful if your contact information is updated.

Animal Wellness Center of Pontiac believes microchipping is the safest, most effective method of pet recovery available, helping reunite more than 15,000 lost pets to their owners every month. To get your pet “chipped,” request an appointment online or call us at 815-844-7180.

Serious health problems, injuries, and illness require immediate care. When your pet urgently needs to see a veterinarian, Animal Wellness Center of Pontiac offers quality emergency care.

While we understand you may not always be in a position to call in advance, if you are able to do so it will help our staff be prepared for your pet’s arrival so the animal gets needed medical care that much quicker.

Signs your pet may need emergency care include:

• Pale gums
• Rapid breathing
• Weak or rapid pulse
• Change in body temperature
• Difficulty standing
• Apparent paralysis
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Excessive bleeding

Safety tips:

Pets who are severely ill or injured may try to bite, claw or act in an aggressive manner towards those trying to help them. Approach any injured or sick pet slowly and calmly; say their name and see how the animal reacts. Call for help if the pet reacts aggressively.

For dogs, fashion a makeshift stretcher if the animal is unable to move. Make sure the neck is supported.

For cats, slowly place a blanket or towel over the head to prevent biting. Slowly lift the animal into an open-topped carrier or box.

Elevate and apply pressure to any bleeding wound.

If  you think your pet has eaten something poisonous:

Call us at 815-844-7180 immediately!

If your pet has an emergency after our hours, we recommend the following emergency veterinary hospital(s): Animal Emergency Clinic of McLean County 309-828-7722 and Urbana/Champaign University of Illinois Small Animal Emergency Clinic 217-333-5300.

The chewing. The scratching. The licking. These behaviors are all too familiar to many pet parents and they can be symptoms of a significant health problem. It could be allergies, an infection, stress or any one of many issues and it’s important that your pet see the vet when these symptoms start to happen.

At Animal Wellness Center of Pontiac we can examine and test your pet and, based on the diagnosis, provide you with treatment options that will provide relief to your best friend—and to you as well.

Symptoms of Skin Problems in Cats & Dogs

• Excessive scratching, chewing or licking
• Rashes
• Lesions
• Irritated or dry skin
• Scabs
• Red or inflamed skin
• Hair loss
• Rubbing of face against furniture or carpets

If your pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms above, contact us today at 815-844-7180 to schedule an exam or you can also request an appointment online.

For several years now, we have been providing cardiac and abdominal ultrasound for our patients. Ultrasound has helped us diagnose and more thoroughly understand the disease processes occurring in our veterinary patients.

With ultrasound we can see what the inside of an organ looks like and detect if there are any abnormalities like cysts or masses. These abnormalities can be measured for size and in some instances, an ultrasound guided fine needle aspirate can be performed on these abnormalities to obtain a diagnosis. This usually requires a light sedation versus an exploratory abdominal surgery.

So you can see that ultrasound has many applications. We can use it simply to get a sterile urine sample from your pet, or to help diagnose complicated diseases. It has been a great diagnostic addition to our practice. If necessary, we can send the images we have obtained during an ultrasound procedure and have them evaluated by a board certified veterinary radiologist for a small additional fee.

If you have any questions, call us at 815-844-7180 or request an appointment online.