Frequently asked questions.
Microchip FAQs
What is a microchip?
A microchip is a tiny, rice-sized transponder placed under your pet's skin. It has no battery or moving parts — a scanner passed over it reads a unique ID number.
Does it hurt? Does my pet need anesthesia?
No. It's injected under the skin between the shoulder blades, similar to a routine vaccine, and takes just a few seconds. No anesthesia or surgery required (though it can be done while your pet is already under anesthesia for another procedure, like a spay or neuter).
Is it a GPS tracker?
No. A microchip can't tell you your pet's location. It only stores an ID number that's read when a scanner is passed over it — usually at a shelter or vet clinic if your pet is found.
Does my pet still need a collar and tags if they're microchipped?
Yes. Collar tags are the fastest way for someone to identify and contact you, but they can fall off or be removed. A microchip is permanent backup ID that stays with your pet even without a collar — and cats especially benefit, since they're less likely to wear one.
Is my personal information stored in the chip, and can anyone with a scanner access it?
No. The chip itself only contains an ID number. Your contact information lives in a secure registry database, and is only released to reunite you with your pet.
Do I need to re-chip my pet or have it removed/replaced?
No. A microchip is designed to last your pet's lifetime. Ask us to scan it at your pet's annual visit just to confirm it's still working.
Is a microchip alone enough to get my pet back if they're lost?
Not on its own — the chip must be registered with your current contact information. If your info is missing or outdated, it can't lead anyone back to you, so update it whenever you move or change your phone number.
Does microchipping really improve the odds of getting a lost pet back?
Yes, significantly. Studies show microchipped pets are reunited with their owners at much higher rates than non-chipped pets — especially cats.
Outpatient Ultrasound FAQs
(with Dr. Liz Shaker)
Does my pet need to be shaved?
Yes. Good probe-to-skin contact is essential for clear images, so fur will be shaved from the area being scanned.
Can I stay with my pet during the exam?
No — for space and technical reasons, owners wait in the lobby while a trained technician stays with your pet throughout.
What happens during the exam?
Your pet lies quietly on a padded table in a dimly lit room while Dr. Shaker moves the probe over a warm gel applied to the skin. Most pets relax and tolerate it well; staff stay with your pet to help with positioning and comfort.
Will my pet need sedation?
Most pets don't. If sedation becomes necessary for a diagnostic-quality exam, we'll contact you for consent first and discuss any risks. If you're concerned your pet may need it due to anxiety or pain, mention this to your regular vet before the appointment.
How will I get the results?
Dr. Shaker sends a full report to your regular Bilmar veterinarian within 48 hours, and they'll follow up with you and guide next steps. If anything urgent is found during the exam, our staff will let you know right away, while your pet is still here.
Leptospirosis FAQs
What is leptospirosis?
A bacterial infection that can affect dogs, other mammals, and humans. The bacteria thrive in warm, wet environments — damp grass, standing water, mud, lakes — and can survive there for months.
How do dogs get it?
Usually through contact with the urine of an infected animal — via the mouth, nose, or eyes. Wildlife like raccoons, skunks, opossums, and rats are common carriers, along with livestock and other infected dogs. Any dog with outdoor access, even briefly, is at risk.
How does it affect my dog?
Signs can include loss of appetite, changes in urination, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea. Even with treatment, 10–15% of infected dogs don't survive; without treatment, many die of kidney or liver failure.
How can I prevent it?
Vaccination is the best protection. Today's four-way vaccine covers more strains and causes fewer reactions than older versions. Talk to us about the right vaccine schedule for your dog.
What should I do if I suspect leptospirosis?
Contact us right away — early diagnosis and treatment give your dog the best chance of recovery. Since leptospirosis can spread to people, anyone in close contact with an infected dog should also consider getting checked.
Lyme Disease FAQs
What is Lyme disease?
A bacterial infection spread through tick bites — most commonly the deer tick. Once in the bloodstream, it tends to settle in the joints.
Can it affect people too?
Yes, but not directly from dogs — people and dogs both get it from tick bites. Preventing tick exposure protects your whole household.
What are the signs?
Unlike people, dogs don't get the telltale bull's-eye rash, which makes Lyme harder to catch early. Watch for sudden lameness that shifts between legs, fever, low energy, and reduced appetite. Some dogs carry the infection for a year or more before showing any symptoms.
How is it diagnosed?
A blood test can detect exposure to the bacteria. A positive result is meaningful, but because antibodies take time to develop (or may fade in long-term infections), a negative test doesn't always rule it out — we'll factor in your dog's symptoms and history too.
How is it treated?
With antibiotics. A full course is needed to clear the infection, and occasionally a different antibiotic or a longer course is needed if the first doesn't fully resolve it.
How can I prevent it?
Avoid tick-heavy areas like tall grass, brush, and wooded trails when possible, and check your dog after time outdoors. Ticks wait on grass and low branches to latch onto a passing animal.
How do I remove a tick?
Grasp it close to the skin with fine tweezers and pull straight out. Removing it promptly matters — a tick generally needs to feed for about 12 hours before it can transmit Lyme disease.
Is there a vaccine?
Yes — a safe, effective vaccine is available, given as two initial doses two weeks apart, then boosted annually.
Anaplasmosis FAQs
What is anaplasmosis?
A tick-borne bacterial infection spread mainly by the deer tick, closely related to Lyme disease. It often causes lameness, joint pain, fever, and low energy, and commonly overlaps with Lyme disease since both are carried by the same tick.
What are the signs?
Lameness, joint pain, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite are most common, usually lasting a few days. Some dogs have mild or no symptoms; others show vomiting, diarrhea, or coughing. Neurological signs — wobbliness, disorientation, or seizures — are seen more often than older references suggest, so any sudden behavior or coordination changes are worth a call.
How is it diagnosed?
Blood tests can detect exposure to the bacteria, sometimes run in-house and sometimes sent to an outside lab. We'll determine the right test for your dog's situation.
How is it treated?
With the antibiotic doxycycline, typically for 21 days. Most dogs improve quickly — often within 24–48 hours — with an excellent recovery outlook.
My dog tested positive but isn't showing any symptoms — what does that mean?
A positive test means exposure, not necessarily active illness — many healthy dogs in tick-heavy areas test positive without ever getting sick. Treatment isn't usually recommended for healthy dogs in this situation, but it's still a signal to step up tick prevention, since co-infection with Lyme disease raises the risk of illness.
Can I catch anaplasmosis from my dog?
Not directly — you can't get it from your dog, only from a tick bite. But if your dog has it, that means infected ticks are present in your environment, so it's worth tightening up tick control for the whole household.
Vaccine FAQs
What vaccines does my puppy need, and when?
DA2PP (distemper/parvo combo) and rabies are core vaccines, required for all dogs. Lyme, leptospirosis, bordetella, and influenza are elective, recommended based on your dog's lifestyle and exposure risk. A typical puppy series runs from 6 to 20 weeks, with DA2PP starting first and rabies given around 18 weeks — exact timing can shift slightly based on age, breeder history, or lifestyle. We space vaccines out over several visits rather than giving them all at once: every vaccine carries a small chance of reaction, and spacing them out lowers that risk and helps us pinpoint the cause if a reaction does occur.
What about adult dogs?
DA2PP and rabies boosters are typically given at 1 year, then every 3 years after. Elective vaccines (Lyme, leptospirosis, bordetella, influenza) are boosted annually, based on ongoing risk and exposure.
Are elective vaccines necessary?
They're not required by law and aren't considered essential for every dog, but they're often strongly recommended depending on your dog's risk of exposure.
What is the Lyme vaccine?
An added layer of protection — used alongside tick preventative — against Lyme disease. It's about 80% effective at preventing transmission and is strongly recommended in the Berkshires and other high-tick-volume areas. Given yearly, starting with an initial dose followed by a booster 2–4 weeks later.
What is the leptospirosis ("lepto") vaccine?
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that damages the kidneys and liver and can be fatal in severe cases. It spreads through the urine of infected wildlife (skunks, raccoons, opossums, rats, deer) and can survive for long periods in warm, stagnant water or moist soil. It's zoonotic — meaning it can spread to humans. Dogs at higher risk include those who swim in or drink from stagnant water, or who live in areas with regular wildlife exposure. Given yearly, starting with an initial dose followed by a booster 2–4 weeks later.
What is the bordetella vaccine?
Protects against Bordetella bronchiseptica, a common cause of kennel cough — a highly contagious upper respiratory illness spread through respiratory secretions. Recommended for dogs with exposure to boarding, grooming, dog parks, or unfamiliar dogs. Can be given by injection, orally, or intranasally. Typically an annual vaccine, though some boarding or grooming facilities require it every 6 months.
What is the canine influenza vaccine?
Protects against the H3N2 and H3N8 flu strains, which cause upper respiratory symptoms and, in severe cases, fever or secondary pneumonia. Recommended for dogs exposed to boarding, grooming, dog parks, unfamiliar dogs, or frequent travel/residence in metro areas, where outbreaks have historically occurred. Given yearly, starting with an initial dose followed by a booster 2–4 weeks later.
FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) FAQs
FeLV is often discussed alongside feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) — both are feline retroviruses and are commonly tested for together, though they differ in how they spread and progress. See the FIV FAQ section for comparison.
What is FeLV?
Feline leukemia virus is a retrovirus that suppresses the immune system and is one of the leading infectious causes of illness and death in cats. It can also lead to certain cancers and blood disorders.
How is it transmitted?
Through prolonged close contact with an infected cat — mutual grooming, shared food/water bowls, and litter boxes, as well as bite wounds and from an infected mother to her kittens. It doesn't survive long outside the body, so it isn't spread through the environment alone.
Which cats are at higher risk?
Outdoor or free-roaming cats, cats living in multi-cat households with an infected cat, and kittens (who are more susceptible than adults) are at greatest risk. Indoor-only cats with no exposure to other cats are at very low risk.
What are the signs?
Signs vary widely and can include lethargy, weight loss, poor coat condition, recurring infections, pale gums, enlarged lymph nodes, and reproductive issues (infertility, pregnancy loss). Some infected cats show no symptoms for a long time.
How is it diagnosed?
A simple blood test can detect FeLV, often run in-house during a routine visit. Because early results can sometimes change as the infection progresses, retesting is sometimes recommended.
Is there a vaccine?
Yes. It's considered elective (not required by law), but strongly recommended for kittens and any cat with outdoor access or exposure to other cats. It's given as an initial series with a booster, then continued based on ongoing risk.
What's the outlook for an infected cat?
Outlook varies — some cats live for years with good quality of life, especially if kept indoors, monitored regularly, and kept current on preventive care. Others progress more quickly. Keeping an infected cat separated from FeLV-negative cats in the household is important to prevent spread.
FIV FAQs
FIV is often discussed alongside feline leukemia virus (FeLV) — both are feline retroviruses and are commonly tested for together, though they differ in how they spread and progress. See the FeLV FAQ section for comparison.
What is FIV?
Feline immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus related to feline leukemia (FeLV) and HIV in humans, though it only infects cats — it can't spread to people or other species. It weakens the immune system over time, making cats more vulnerable to infections and certain cancers.
How is it transmitted?
Mainly through bite wounds, via saliva — not through casual contact like sharing food bowls or grooming (unlike FeLV). Transmission from mother to kittens is rare.
How common is it, and which cats are most at risk?
Roughly 1–2% of healthy cats in the U.S. are infected. It's most common in outdoor, free-roaming, unneutered male cats, since fighting and bite wounds are the main route of spread. It's rare in cats that stay strictly indoors or in multi-cat households without fighting.
How does FIV affect a cat over time?
After initial exposure, most cats enter a long symptom-free stage that can last for years. Eventually, in later life (often ages 5–12), the immune system weakens enough that the cat becomes prone to chronic infections — respiratory, oral, skin, or intestinal — because normally harmless organisms take advantage of the weakened immune defenses.
What are the signs to watch for?
Lethargy, reduced appetite, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and weight loss. Chronic mouth infections (pain when eating, facial sensitivity) and upper respiratory symptoms like sneezing and nasal discharge are common.
What's the outlook?
Many FIV-positive cats live normal-length lives with good care, especially if kept indoors and monitored closely. Once a cat reaches advanced disease, life expectancy is generally around a year or less.
4Dx Test FAQs
What is the 4Dx test?
An in-clinic blood test that screens for four diseases at once: heartworm, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. It's run annually, typically alongside heartworm prevention renewal.
What does a positive result actually mean?
A positive Lyme, anaplasma, or ehrlichia result means your dog's immune system has been exposed and produced antibodies — it doesn't necessarily mean your dog is sick. In tick-heavy regions like ours, a large percentage of healthy dogs will test positive without ever showing symptoms. That's why we don't treat every positive result the same way — the plan depends on whether it's a new exposure or a known, ongoing one.
How does Bilmar handle a newly positive result?
Any dog testing positive for the first time is treated. A fresh positive suggests recent exposure, and treating early gives the best chance of preventing symptomatic disease.
What about dogs that test positive year after year?
Antibodies can persist for months to years after exposure, even after treatment, so a repeat positive doesn't automatically mean an active or new infection. For these dogs, we don't automatically re-treat — instead, we run additional screening to check for subclinical (silent) organ effects that tick-borne disease can cause even without obvious symptoms.
What does that additional screening involve?
- CBC (complete blood count), annually for dogs that are anaplasma- or ehrlichia-positive — checking for changes like low platelets or blood cell abnormalities that can signal ongoing disease activity.
- UPC (urine protein:creatinine ratio) for dogs that are Lyme- or ehrlichia-positive — checking for early protein loss in the urine, since these infections are linked to kidney damage that can develop silently before a dog seems unwell.
Why check the kidneys specifically?
Lyme disease in particular can lead to a serious kidney condition (Lyme nephropathy) that may progress quietly for a long time before a dog shows outward signs. Catching early protein loss on a UPC test lets us intervene before kidney function declines significantly.
Is there anything new in the research?
A few developments worth knowing:
- Newer data has strengthened the link between tick-borne disease exposure (Lyme in particular) and long-term kidney disease risk, reinforcing the value of proactive kidney screening in previously positive dogs — which is the reasoning behind our UPC protocol.
- The veterinary field continues to debate routine treatment of healthy, repeatedly-positive dogs, given concerns about antibiotic overuse and resistance — supporting the "test and monitor" approach we take with our historically-positive patients rather than automatic re-treatment.
Heartworm Prevention Lapse FAQs
I missed a dose (or several) of my dog's heartworm preventative — what should I do?
Give the next dose as soon as you remember, then get back on your regular monthly schedule. Don't try to "double up" to make up for a missed dose.
Do I need to test for heartworm right away?
No — testing too soon after a lapse won't give an accurate result. It takes time for a heartworm infection to become detectable on a blood test, so testing immediately can produce a false negative even if transmission occurred during the gap.
When should my dog be tested after a lapse?
We recommend testing 6 months after restarting preventative. This allows enough time for any infection that may have occurred during the lapse to become detectable, giving us a reliable result.
Is my dog protected again once they restart preventative?
Restarting promptly resumes protection going forward, but it doesn't retroactively treat any infection that may have already occurred during the gap — that's exactly why the 6-month follow-up test matters.
What if my dog was only off preventative for a short time?
Even a brief lapse can be enough for transmission if your dog was exposed to an infected mosquito during that window, so the same guidance applies: restart immediately and plan for testing 6 months out.