Choosing to add a pet to your life is a big decision!
Pets are life-long commitments, and keeping a pet happy, healthy, fed, and well-exercised requires time and money. In order to pick the right pet for you, one must consider your lifestyle, living situation, and how much care you are able or willing to provide. Some pets require very little interaction with their owners, while others need almost constant companionship! Also, everyone in your family or who reside in your home, must be included in the decision.
To explore a specific pet like birds, cats, dogs, horses, small animals, and reptiles, continue reading into this section. If you have questions about what pet is right for you, do not hesitate to contact our office!
-
How to Take Care of Your Pet's Nails
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Many pets dislike having their feet touched and their nails trimmed. Owners worry that they may hurt their pets especially if the pet struggles when having their nails cut. This is probably why many owners take their pets to their veterinarians or groomers to have this done. If you are thinking of trimming
Read more
-
Home Dental Care
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Home dental care for your cat or dog has the same goal as home dental care for yourself, to remove dental plaque. Plaque is the sticky, whitish film with the bad taste and offensive odor that accumulates inside the mouth. Plaque is about 85% bacteria and will mineralize to form tartar. Plaque accumulation
Read more
-
Get Down With Your Dog
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fun with Pets
Each year fifteen million Americans engage in the practice of yoga. Many of the same Americans own some of the over seventy-three million dogs owned in the United States. If you put yoga and dogs together, you get doga (pronounced DOH-gah). Doga is sweeping the nation including large American cities
Read more
-
Having a Positive Experience at the Dog Park
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fun with Pets
Dog parks: they are great for socialization, exercise, and mental stimulation for many dogs. But certain dogs may feel threatened or anxious. Whether you and your dog have a good dog park experience or a bad one depends largely on your understanding of your dog, advanced preparation, proper training,
Read more
-
The Pet Economy
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fun with Pets
If there's still any doubt whether the pampering of pets is getting out of hand, the debate should be settled once and for all by Neuticles, a patented testicular implant that sells for up to $919 a pair. The idea, says inventor Gregg A. Miller, is to "let people restore their pets to anatomical preciseness"
Read more
-
Traveling with Your Pet
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fun with Pets
Traveling with your pet can be rewarding but challenging if not enough preparation has been made. Planning will help your trip go smoother and should include acquiring any paperwork that is needed, consideration of the temperatures to be experienced and how to deal with them, and obtaining equipment
Read more
-
Flea Preventative Medications: Oral vs. Topical
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fleas & Parasites
Fleas are not only a source of irritation and frustration, but they also pose a serious health threat to animals. These tiny external parasites can carry a variety of diseases, including bubonic plague, and severe infestations may cause deadly levels of blood loss in very small or young pets, according
Read more
-
Fleas, the Frustrating Pest
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fleas & Parasites
Consider the following scenario: You arrive home from a long flight from a wonderful, two-week vacation. As you drive home, you remind yourself the boarding kennel is already closed and you have to wait until tomorrow to pick up your dog, Max. You finally walk in the front door, happy to be home. As
Read more
-
Giardia: A Parasite of Many Species
Category:
Newsletter Library, Fleas & Parasites
If you have a friend who camps or fishes, you may have heard that they had been infected with Giardia. Or your veterinarian may have told you that your cat or dog had Giardia. In either case, you probably wondered, can I catch it as well?
Giardia is a protozoan parasite (one-celled organism) that can
Read more
-
Stress Relief for Pets
Category:
Newsletter Library, Behavior & Training
Stress isn't just a problem for humans; your pet can experience the negative effects too. Illness, changes in the usual routine or the death of another pet can lead to an increase in your pet's anxiety level. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help your furry friend relax.
Signs of Stress
Your
Read more
-
Help & Support
Category:
Living With Your Pet, Saying Goodbye
University of California at Davis Veterinary Students(530)752-3602 or toll free (800)565-1526Monday-Friday 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm (PT)
Florida Community Volunteers(352)392-4700 Dial 1 and 4080(352)392-4700 X4744 (Joy Diaz)Monday-Friday 7 pm to 9 pm (ET)
Michigan State University Veterinary Students(517)432-2696
Read more
-
The Decision
Category:
Living With Your Pet, Saying Goodbye
Your decision is a personal one, but it need not be a solitary one. Your veterinarian and your family and friends can assist and support you.
How Do I Make The Decision?
Your relationship with your pet is special, and you are responsible for its care and welfare. Eventually, many owners are faced with
Read more
-
Camping with Pets
Category:
Living With Your Pet, Travel
Camping with pets presents its own challenges. Skunks, raccoons, porcupines, snakes, and other wildlife can bite or otherwise injure your pet. Keep your pet within sight and on a leash. Be considerate of other campers. Be sure to ask your veterinarian about flea, tick and heartworm prevention.
Read more
-
Planning and Preparation
Category:
Living With Your Pet, Travel
Planning and preparation are necessary when traveling with family pets. Consider whether your pet is comfortable when traveling. Some animals, like some people, function better in familiar surroundings. A car-sick animal can make a trip miserable for everyone. Some ill or physically impaired dogs and
Read more
-
Travel by Airplane
Category:
Living With Your Pet, Travel
Air travel is of most concern to pet owners. You can minimize the chances of an unpleasant experience by following a few guidelines. Federal regulations require that pets be at least 8 weeks old and weaned at least 5 days before flying. Generally, a health certificate (which is not more than 10 days
Read more
-
Travel by Car
Category:
Living With Your Pet, Travel
Pets should not be allowed to ride with their heads outside car windows. Particles of dirt can enter the eyes, ears, and nose, causing injury or infection.
If your pet is not accustomed to car travel, take it for a few short rides before your trip. Cats should be confined to a cage or crate to allow
Read more