A STRESS-FREE VET VISIT STARTS AT HOME - If your cat treats their carrier like it’s haunted and hides the moment it comes out, you’re not alone. Vet visits don’t have to be stressful. A little preparation at home can help your cat feel more comfortable, make travel easier, and create a calmer experience for everyone.
Because pet owners consider their pets as part of their family, many of them include their furry friends in their vacation plans. Traveling with your pet can be an amazing experience, but you must plan carefully to pull off a successful trip. Pre-travel preparation will include a trip to your veterinarian for a health certificate, which is required for flying. Air travel with a pet can be especially challenging, but if you follow our flight preparation tips, you and your pet can take off without a hitch.
Nothing can be sweeter than seeing the bond between kids and dogs. Growing up with a dog is an amazing experience for your child, but you must teach both how to interact safely. Follow our tips to learn how to foster that special child-dog bond, and ensure they stay safe.
When your pet is sick or injured, you want them to receive the best possible care, but you may be confused when determining which veterinary facility type will provide them with the most appropriate care. Should you schedule an appointment with your family veterinarian, take your pet to a veterinary urgent care facility, or rush them to an emergency hospital?
Pet parents know the meaning of unconditional love. Pets are extraordinary creatures and add so much joy, humor, and—of course—love to your life. Your fabulous furry friends make your life better by their mere presence, and, better still, owning a pet positively impacts your physical and social well-being every day. Learn 10 ways pet ownership increases your quality of life.
Dogs are a wonderful addition to our lives, and provide unconditional love, loyalty, and plenty of laughs. But dog ownership comes with many responsibilities, especially their training. Proper training and socialization are part of a dog's basic needs, and unless you are fortunate to have a naturally well-behaved pup, teaching them manners and basic commands takes some serious time and commitment.
As pet parents, sometimes we have a hard time telling what's normal behavior and what isn't. You might see them scratch, lick, or scootch once in a while, but if you notice an increase in “itchy” behaviors, more often than not, the cause is allergic dermatitis.
Halloween is full of frights, but scarier still is an emergency trip to the veterinary hospital. On the spookiest night of the year, pet owners should take extra precautions to keep their furry friends safe. Enjoy the festive fun by following these Halloween pet safety tips.
Labor Day is the perfect time to relax, put work aside, and enjoy the last summer holiday while celebrating with family and friends. Barbeques are a popular and festive Labor Day tradition for many families, but along with the fun, pets face potential hazards. Avoid a holiday pet emergency while grilling up the good times this Labor Day by following four simple pet safety tips.
Vaccinations (i.e., immunizations, or shots) have saved numerous pets' and humans' lives, since some animal diseases can be transmitted to people. Before effective vaccines were available, pets often died from conditions such as distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, upper respiratory tract infection complications, and the especially deadly rabies virus. Pet vaccinations include core vaccines—required for all pets—and non-core vaccines, which are optional, and administered based on your pet's lifestyle and where you live.
Many pet owners dread taking their pet to the veterinarian. The veterinary clinic's unfamiliar sounds, sights, and smells can make your pet feel stressed and fearful, causing a health care visit to become an overwhelming endeavor for you both. Determining how to keep your pet calm during a veterinary visit can be a challenge, but by planning ahead and following these tips, you help make the experience as stress-free as possible.
Keep your cats and dogs safe during the holidays by avoiding hazards and being prepared for a potential emergency. Follow these safety tips, and enjoy a stress-free, safe, and pet-friendly holiday season.
The holidays are almost here, and you should begin planning now, especially if you are a pet owner. Avoid a doggone disaster or a complete catastrophe and learn how to keep your furry friends safe and happy during the hectic holiday season by following these simple tips.
Our pets can’t always tell us when something is wrong, keeping up with their regular screenings can tell you more than you’d think! Along with vaccines, these screenings are an important part of your pet’s annual health report card. They help catch problems early, prevent serious illness, and give you peace of mind.
By taking good care of your pet, you can ensure they receive the care they need without breaking the bank. Your pet will live a longer, healthier, and happier life, and you will avoid many expensive veterinary costs.
Your pet relies on you to maintain their health, and many options are available to ensure they live a long, happy, and healthy life. Follow these tips to keep your pet’s health optimal, so you can enjoy many years of love and companionship together.
Anxiety in pets is a stress response that occurs when an animal feels fear, uncertainty, or discomfort-often triggered by a situation, environment, or past experience.
Pets are naturally curious and like to explore their environment—usually with their mouths—which can get them in trouble. As a pet owner, you are responsible for ensuring your furry family member’s safety at home
Kittens are the definition of cuteness, and their tiny eyes, wispy fur, and endearing antics are hard to resist. However, caring for a kitten, especially during their first year of life, takes patience, commitment, and an understanding of feline development.
You may be surprised to learn that pets can develop diabetes mellitus, and that the disease is remarkably similar to human diabetes. Early diagnosis, consistent treatment, and proper monitoring are critical to help diabetic pets live long, healthy lives. Understanding diabetes can help you recognize signs in your pet should they develop the disease, and how to properly care for them.
Understanding your exotic pet’s unique needs is crucial to ensuring they enjoy a long and healthy life. The best way to learn about their care is through partnering with a veterinarian who has exotic pet board-certification or simply has a special interest in your pet’s species.
Over the years, a pet becomes an indispensable part of your family, your life, and your heart. They are a continuous source of warmth, positivity, and unconditional love, and losing them can feel like losing part of yourself. Nothing can prepare you for losing a loved one, and that includes your pet. While you know that death is a natural part of the life cycle, a pet’s passing—whether planned or unexpected—will impact you in profound ways.
Leaving your pet behind when you travel is never easy, but preparing for their boarding experience can mean the difference between a comfortable staycation and a stressful split. You will need to plan ahead to ensure your pet’s home away from home is fully prepared to handle all their needs, and to ensure your pet is healthy and ready for the experience.
While you may assume that annual exams are only for sick pets or to administer vaccines, you may not realize all that happens during your pet’s visit. Let’s break down a normal annual wellness appointment to see what your pet may be missing.
Anesthesia allows veterinarians to perform important diagnostic and surgical procedures on pets, whether to save their life or provide a healthy future, but pet owners are often concerned about their pet undergoing anesthesia. Fortunately, veterinary anesthesia rivals human anesthesia in the use of monitoring technology and safety measures.
Regardless of the science, essential oils’ popularity may lead you to wonder whether their use is safe for pets. The answer is complicated. In their most concentrated form (100%), essential oils can be harmful to your pet—and some oils are more harmful than others. Learn how to keep your pet safe from essential oils’ potential harm.
This annual cleaning overhaul is a common family tradition for many, signaling a physical and mental refresh to ensure your home is organized, sanitized, and aesthetically pleasing. While you may be itching to get started on your spring cleaning, as a pet owner, you should keep in mind some important guidelines.
Harsh winter weather poses hazards to people, but can be more difficult on our pets, who rely on us for their wellbeing. To keep your pet safe and warm when the temperatures drop, adjust your pet’s care and daily routines. Follow these six winter pet safety tips to protect your pet against cold winter weather hazards.
If your home caught fire, would your pet obediently follow you through the door to safety? More likely, your pet would retreat to a familiar safe place in your home during a scary situation. Sadly, all too often, firefighters find family pets under furniture, in closets, or curled up tight in their beds, frozen in their final moments. Follow these six tips to ensure your beloved pet gets out of a house fire alive.
You do everything to keep your pet safe, but to protect them from hazards, you must know what they are. You likely know chemicals can be toxic to your pet, and you keep them secure and out of their reach. Surprisingly, some pet toxins are not obvious, and many may be lurking in your home. Many everyday household plants, foods, and ingredients can have devastating—and deadly—consequences for your pet. Learn about common pet toxins, and how to keep your beloved companion safe.
Cancer is unfortunately a common diagnosis for pets. However, veterinary advances in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment mean your pet’s cancer has a much higher likelihood of being treated successfully when diagnosed in the earliest stages.
Oral health is an important—but often overlooked—part of your pet’s overall health and wellbeing. Your pet’s dental health is more than about fresh breath, because regular dental care can prevent unnecessary pain and periodontal disease, which could lead to a shortened lifespan. Learn how dental care helps your pet live a longer, happier life, and how to ensure they receive the dental care they need.
Imagine—your unsuspecting pet is bitten by a pesky mosquito and becomes infected with microscopic worms that parasitize their heart and lungs. The larval worms grow to foot-long adults and eventually cause deadly heart failure.
Pet osteoarthritis is when join tissue gets worn away resulting in inflammation, decreased mobility, and is a leading cause of chronic pain in pets. Nearly 40% of dogs and cats suffer from osteoarthritis (OA) pain but less than half are diagnosed.