Our pets give us unconditional love, never complain about growing old, and we've yet to meet a hypochondriac among them. But our pets do have their aches and pains and medical needs that only their masters can attend to. Coronado Lifestyle turned to four of the Crown City's top veterinarians for a medical primer on the most pressing concerns that your critter wants you to know all about.

FLEAS
Did you know that a single flea can bite up to 400 times a day? That's up to 4,000 bites a day if a dog or cat is infested with just ten fleas. Ouch! Fleas are probably the peskiest problem with Coronado pets and pet owners, says Lisa Grunewald, DVM at Crown Veterinary Hospital. "We're a beach town and they come with the territory," she says.

Fleas don't have wings, so they cannot fly, but the strong back legs of these minuscule pests enable them to hop 150 times their height. Fleas can cause itching for your pet, but for pets that are sensitive or allergic to fleas, the insects can cause hair loss, inflammation and secondary skin conditions. And once your pet has been bitten by fleas, you can be pretty sure those fleas are going to hop on over and bite you, too. Do your pets and yourself a big favor, suggests this vet with 14 years of practice under her belt, and treat your pet with a topical flea preventative Advantage and Frontline are two of the most popular lines. The treatment is applied on the skin at the back of the neck between the animal's shoulder blades and then the body's natural oils carry it to protect the entire animal; a couple of other application points further down the body are needed for larger dogs. Grunewald says a frequent mistake that owners make is to apply the treatment directly after they bathe the pet. "Wait a day or two until the body's oils have been restored," she advises.

The topical treatments kill 98 percent of fleas within 20 minutes of application and last approximately one month, more or less, depending on how frequently the animal is in the water — be it at the beach, the pool, or just getting a bath.

In addition to topical treatments, there is a new internal treatment - Capstar - a pill that works for just one day and will kill fleas and mites. It can be given every day. Grunewald also recommends Knockout, an area treatment spray that is sold over the counter, and another, Yard and House. She reminds owners to frequently wash pet bedding.

DENTAL HEALTH
Tartar, gingivitis, receding gums, abscessed teeth - we've all heard the advice about how to take care of our teeth to avoid these problems. But what about Rover who can't brush three times daily or pull out the pre-waxed mint floss? That's the reason every pet owner should take the lead in ensuring their pet's dental health, says Elizabeth Stone, DVM at Coronado Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Stone recently purchased Dr. Jo Beaty's share after Beaty retired and moved to Montana.

"You need to be sure your pet is getting proper nutrition, the right kind and size of dental chew and a water additive that will decrease tartar," Stone advises. Eating is a very important part of an animal's critical needs. "All pets live to eat, play, sleep and love," she says. "Poor dental health takes away from their ability to eat well, and also affects all the other aspects of their lives."

Stone advises that pet owners should make annual dental health checkups and see their vet immediately if a pet has trouble eating. "Don't assume it's just a broken tooth. They may very well be in pain but just can't let you know." Older dogs and smaller breeds Yorkies, Schnauzers, Pomeranians and poodles among themhave more problems with teeth and should be seen more frequently.

Teeth cleaning requires a general anesthetic and, when there are extractions, some post-operative antibiotic therapy. "Dental problems, left untreated, can lead to heart, liver or kidney failure," Stone warns. "And it's so preventable."

DIET
Does Fido appear to be tipping the scales? Is Fluffy chowing down with never-ending gusto? Just like humans, carrying around too much weight can lead to heart problems, liver disease and premature death in pets. If you're concerned, take your animal to the vet where it can be checked for diabetes - yes, pets can be diabetic, too.

How do you know if your dog is overweight? "Touch his sides and if you can feel ribs, usually your dog is in good shape," says Monte Kelly, DVM, who has been an owner/partner of Coronado Veterinary Hospital since 1973. Today he shares the practice with Dr. Elizabeth Stone.

For overweight dogs, Kelly recommends some of the prescription diet pet foods that restrict caloric intake but still deliver all necessary nutrition, "kind of like when we eat salads," he said. He also advises to limit dog treats, which can be high in calories.

Kelly says that feeding table scraps should be limited, "and that's mainly for the owner's benefit," he confesses, noting that the dog will get spoiled and refuse to eat their own food. And he cautions against giving a dog a bone. "There can be real trouble if it splinters, which happens when dogs aggressively eat." But he does recommend green bone chews that do a good job in preventing tartar.

Another option for pudgy pets is to have a blood screening that checks for a hypo-thyroid condition, where there is a lack of the thyroxin hormone that "runs the body's metabolism," and is related to the rate at which the body burns calories. Hypo-thyroid symptoms include loss of hair, lethargic behavior and being overweight.

And, again, just like humans, a lack of exercise may be part of the problem. Cats will be pleased to bat around a toy, and dogs love to go for walks and chase after a ball. And, it might be good for you, too!