Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy

Dr. Naum Dr. Polonskiy has more than 25 years’ experience treating the pets of the NY and New Jersey areas. Having spent the bulk of that time making house calls, he is well-versed in emergency care. His specialties include intestinal( foreign bodies), bladder surgery, and gynecology (such as pyometra).

No one looks forward to the day when their pet requires immediate attention, but Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy clients can rest assured that their pets are in very capable hands.

In certain cases, Dr. Polonskiy is open to making emergency house calls. Such visits will be up to the doctor’s discretion. If your pet is in crisis, don’t hesitate to call us at 888-405-1PET.

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:

• 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 toward 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, or if after hours, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. Trained toxicologists will consider the age and health of your pet, what was ingested, and then make a recommendation about what action should be taken.

The health of your pet’s teeth is very important. Dental health is about a lot more than fighting bad breath and yellowing teeth. It can actually be the difference between a healthy pet and a sick one. Pets whose teeth are not taken care of can suffer from a number of serious problems, like tooth loss, tooth abscess, burning gums, extreme pain, and kidney disease. By age three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some evidence of dental disease. Regular exams help maintain your pet’s dental health and prevent future issues.

Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy offers complete pet oral health services, including:

• Dental exams
• Annual dental cleanings/polishing
• Tooth removal
• Epulis removal
• Growth/mass removal
• Tooth extraction

Preventive Dental Care

Brushing your pet’s teeth between cleanings is the best way to keep their mouth healthy. Interested in learning how to brush your pet’s teeth? Our veterinarians will be happy to help you get started. If your pet hates the toothbrush, our veterinarians can also suggest products that will help.

To make an appointment for a dental exam or cleaning, call us at 732-534-3293.

For most pets, we recommend one wellness exam each year to make sure your pet stays healthy. If your pet is a senior–over 7-years-old for dogs, over 9-years-old for cats–we suggest two exams per year. That’s because pets age faster than humans, so sickness develops faster as well.

Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy’s physical exams cover every part of your animal’s health. Your veterinarian will do the exam, which typically includes:

• Ear exam
• Eye exam
• Rectal exam
• Dental exam
• Bone exam
• Reproductive system exam
• Internal health evaluation
• Neurological evaluation
• Heart evaluation
• Nutrition help
• Skin exam

These exams are very important. Call us at 732-534-3293 to make an appointment today!

Surgery is often the best way to treat many serious injuries and disorders, and Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy is proud to offer a wide range of surgical procedures.

Our surgery specialties include:

• Soft-tissue
• Dental
• Foreign body removal
• Urine bladder stones
• Splenic tumors

Patient safety and comfort is our main priority. We work hard to manage your pet’s pain during and after surgery. We also take part in their post-surgery care. Surgery can be a stressful time. We make sure to keep you informed through the entire process and we’re always there to answer your questions.

If you think your pet might need surgery, please call us at 732-534-3293.

It’s a pet owner’s greatest fear – finding out that their pet has gone missing. Pets escape all the time. They run away and get lost, and, in many cases, their owners never see them again.

This doesn’t have to happen to you. Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy hopes that you will microchip your pet, even if your pet lives indoors. Unlike collars and tags, microchips can’t fall off, and they’re guaranteed to last at least 25 years. Our microchips are even accepted in all countries.

Microchipping a pet is simple, pain-free, and inexpensive. They reunite more than 15,000 lost pets with their owners every month. To get your pet “chipped”, call us at 732-534-3293.

Every year, thousands of stray animals are killed in shelters across the United States. Many of these deaths occur because owners failed to take the steps to sterilize their pets. Spaying and neutering can change this, and both can have health benefits for pets.

Spaying

Spaying is a common surgical procedure performed on female cats and dogs. The process involves removing the patient’s uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, making it so the animal cannot have puppies or kittens. Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy veterinarians think you should spay your pet at 6 months and ideally before a patient’s first heat.

Spaying means you’ll never have to deal with any unwanted offspring. Another benefit of the procedure is the prevention of mammary gland tumors and/or uterine inflammation in your pet.

What to expect after surgery

Your pet will need 7-10 days to recover from surgery. She may need pain medications to get her through, and she’ll most likely be sleepy for a time. She’ll get a small, green tattoo to prove that she’s been spayed should she ever get lost or taken to a shelter.

Neutering

Neutering is performed on male cats and dogs. This process removes the animal’s testicles, making them unable to impregnate females. Your pet should be neutered when he is 6 months old. Older dogs can be neutered as well.

The benefits of neutering go beyond reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies. Neutered animals tend to be calmer and less aggressive. Neutering also prevents the development of testicular or perianal adenoma.

What to expect after surgery

Neutered pets are often tired and in pain for the first couple days after the surgery. It’s very important that you watch your pet closely to keep the animal from licking or biting their stitches. This lowers the risk of infection.

To learn more about spaying and neutering, or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 732-534-3293.

One of the best things you can do to give your pet a good start in life is getting them vaccinated. Vaccines can prevent a number of serious and deadly diseases. Puppies and kittens need their shots because many of their systems are fragile and still developing. Vaccines protect them as they grow.

Vaccines have very few side effects, and even those side effects are usually mild and don’t last very long. Your pet needs certain vaccines. These vaccines are important to your pet’s health and are sometimes required by law. They include:

• Rabies (dogs and cats)
• Lyme vaccine (dogs)
• DA2PPV – Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus 2, Parvo, and Parainfluenza (dogs)
• FVRCP – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia (cats)
• Leptospirosis vaccine (dogs)

Another recommended vaccination for cats is FeLV to protect against feline leukemia. For dogs, bordetella and canine influenza shots are recommended if they often go to dog parks and boarding kennels.

Indoor pets need to be vaccinated as well. Your Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy veterinarian can tell you which vaccinations are required or recommended for your pet based on age, health, and lifestyle. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 732-534-3293.

Most dogs are considered seniors when they hit 7-years-old. Cats become seniors at age 9. Pets age much faster than humans. Diseases and illness take hold faster in older pets, too, and can do a great deal of damage if you don’t act quickly to address the problems.

To make sure your pet has the longest, healthiest, most comfortable life possible, Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy suggests you bring your senior pet for exams and blood tests twice each year. This way we’ll be more likely to catch any diseases in the early stages.

Senior pets need regular blood tests to track the health of their kidneys, liver, pancreas, and thyroid. Your vet may recommend a chest x-ray to ensure that the heart is a normal size and that there are no tumors in the lungs.

Our Senior Exams can also include the following services as needed for your pet:

• Blood Work
• Urine Analysis
• X-Rays
• Ultrasound

Dental exams are important, too. Dental disease is always a threat to our pets’ health and comfort, and it’s particularly tough on older pets. That’s why we make sure to include dental screenings in every senior exam.

And don’t forget to let your vet know about any worrisome physical or emotional changes you see in your pet.

To schedule a wellness exam for your senior, call us at 732-534-3293.

International and Interstate Health Certificates for Pets

If you’re going to be traveling internationally or across state lines and plan to take your pet with you, it’s important to be aware of exactly what will be required for your animal companion to make the trip. It’s also a good idea to make sure your pet is physically healthy enough for travel.

The veterinarians at Animal Hospital of Perth Amboy are USDA-accredited and can assist you in getting your pet ready for your trip, including assessing whether they’re healthy enough for travel—especially the rigors of an airline flight.

International travel for pets requires international health certificates—and some countries require proof of additional vaccinations and testing. You will find the certificate and other information about what’s required for your pet to travel at the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) page from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While the certificate must be prepared by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, the requirements for entry are established by each individual country.

Once your veterinarian completes the health certificate, it will need to be submitted for endorsement by mail or in person at your local USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services Export Service Office. There is an endorsement fee based on destination requirements.

Every country has unique requirements when it comes to international travel health certificates for pets. All relevant certificates need to be completed according to the laws and regulations of the country you’re traveling to. You will also need to research the time frame in which the country requires the certificates be completed. Many countries ask that you have the certificates ready to file 5-10 days prior to your travel date. Other countries are more flexible. Bottom line: do your homework and take care to adhere to the rules each country has put in place.

If you’re traveling with your pet from state to state, there may be some health and documentation requirements. Your first step should be checking the USDA-APHIS page for interstate travel.

If you have further questions or want to schedule an appointment for your pet prior to travel, call us at 732-534-3293. Bon voyage!