Q.  I have a question regarding the Neuter Surgery for my dog. My dog's breed is Chihuahua and he is 5 years old now, and I am planning to take him to get neutered. I wonder if  my dog is too old to do the neuter surgery? And will he experience a behavior change after the surgery and how long will he take to recover? I would greatly appreciate it if I received your answer soon. Thank you very much!

A.  It’s never too late to have a dog neutered – it’s the most important thing you can do to prevent testicular cancer. Not to mention that 5 years old for a chihuahua isn’t old at all. It will not change his personality but it can eliminate certain behaviors such as mounting. Recovery from surgery takes 5-7 days. If you would like to schedule an appointment at one of our surgery centers you can call 510-639-7387 (Oakland) or 925-479-9670 (Dublin).

Q. I have a wonderful cat about 7 years old. We saved her when she was abandoned by her owners as a small kitten about 6+ months. She was sick with mites and some type of worms round worms and something else that made me and my son break out on our skin. In the past 2 years and even while being on the advantage flea medicine she has gotten round worms. I got her shots on multiple occasions to kill them yet she continues to get them. Can it be caused by something OTHER than fleas???

A.  It sounds like the worms you are talking about are tapeworms. They look like little pieces of rice. Cats do get them from fleas but they can also get them from eating rodents like mice. If your cat goes outside at all, she may be getting them that way. Unfortunately, the only way to prevent this is to keep her from going outside.