What You Need to Know About Heartworm Protection

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Most pet parents know that they need to worry about making sure that their pet is healthy, including being worm free, yet many pets are unprotected against heartworms. There are some important things that you should know about heartworm disease, which should open your eyes as to how necessary heartworm prevention is.

What Is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is the condition that results from the long-term residence of heartworms. Heartworms cause lasting, lifelong, and life-shortening damage to the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels. Heartworm disease can exist in dogs, cats, ferrets, and some wild animals, but dogs are their most desired and appropriate host for growth and propagation. If a dog gets heartworms and it goes untreated, it could lead to the dog harboring over a hundred worms at once. Read more

Preparing for Spring: Most Common Flea Preventatives

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Spring is here, and with the warmer weather comes the fleas. It happens every year, and it will continue to do so. If you want to be able to protect your pet from fleas, you’ll need to make sure that you are using a reliable flea preventative treatment.

There are several different types of flea control solutions. Which type you use may be based on several factors, such as your pet’s health, type of pet, age of pet, and other factors. It is best to get the advice of your veterinarian before starting a flea treatment, even if you are looking at a non-prescription option. Read more

Top Three Benefits of Boarding with a Vet

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One of the big fears that people have at this scary time is who will care for their pet if they become ill and have to go to the hospital. One option that you have in these times, or anytime you will be away from home, is to board your pet. While there are many places where you can leave your pet, leaving them in the care of a vet is your best option. Here are the top benefits of boarding with a vet.

Healthy Diet

Some kennels do not allow for special diets. They also may use very cheap pet food to take care of your pet. A vet will honor your pet’s special dietary needs. They will make sure that your pet gets all of the nutrition that they need in a healthy, balanced diet. Read more

Three Training Tips for Behavioral Problems and When to Get Help

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Having a dog with behavioral problems can be a trial. Whether your dog is barking nonstop, chewing furniture and shoes, begging, digging, or jumping up, there are some steps that you can take to prevent or change the behavior. Yet sometimes it is important to get help training your dog. 

Prevent Boredom

One of the best ways that you can keep your dog from acting out is to keep them busy and entertained. You should be helping your dog get plenty of exercise, and you should also be keeping them entertained much of the time. You can keep your dog entertained by providing them with plenty of toys that they like. Chew toys are a great option. Read more

Three Reasons to Board Your Pet with a Veterinarian

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Few things are more distressing than coming home from your travels to find your pet sad, miserable, or even sick or injured. For the sake of your pet, as well as for your own peace of mind, it’s important to be cautious about where you board your pet. The best solution is to board your pet with a veterinarian. Here’s why.

Complete Medical Care Onsite

When you’re away, you want to be sure your pet doesn’t suffer from illness or injury. By boarding with a veterinarian, you avoid this. If your pet is having any unusual symptoms, the staff notices them and reports them to the vet, who provides timely treatment as needed. This is especially important if your pet already has medical conditions or if it’s getting older. Read more

Four Reasons to Board Your Pet with Affordable Pet Hospital

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Being a pet owner is a joy, but sometimes your pet can get in the way of travel plans and other activities that you want to do. When it comes to those times, it can be helpful to find a pet sitter or board your pet with a kennel. One option that many people do not realize you have is boarding your pet with a pet hospital. There are many advantages to doing so.

Knowledgeable

While the person that you might get to pet sit is familiar with your pet, they are not experts on pets. You can tell someone your pet’s preferences and provide them with food and other items, but you will never remember to tell them everything. Also, if your pet does something unusual, the pet sitter might not know if it is normal or concerning. Read more

Why You Should See the Vet for Your Pet’s Accident

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It is unfortunate, but accidents do happen around the house or neighborhood. Just as you can sometimes be injured in everyday accidents, so can your pet. While you might not see the doctor for every accident that you get into, it is more important to take your pet to the vet after every accident for a number of reasons.

Your Pet Can’t Talk

Your pet could be in quite a bit of pain and not be able to tell you. A pet’s behavior might change slightly if they are in pain, such as a limp or lying about instead of being active. But for the most part, you will be unable to tell if your pet is injured or how much pain they might be in. It is best for a vet to examine your pet to make sure that there are no injuries that need treatment. Read more

Preparing for Flea and Tick Season: What You Need to Know

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Fleas and ticks thrive in moist, warm areas, which means that your pet in Tampa is at constant risk of flea and tick issues year round. However, the warmer the weather, the higher the population of fleas and ticks will be in the area. When it is the normal flea and tick season, which usually lasts from about March through the end of September, you may want to take additional precautions to protect your pet.

Maintain Flea and Tick Treatment

It is important that your pet has a year-round flea and tick treatment regimen. You have many options for this year-round protection. There are medications that your vet can prescribe that keep fleas and ticks at bay. There are also flea and tick collars, sprays, and other chemical solutions that can be used on both your pets and their surrounding environment. Make sure that if you are using medication or flea and tick collars that you keep up with the routine. Most of these only need to be replaced or given every three months, and it is an easy thing to forget. Make sure to mark your calendar so your pet will remain protected. Read more

Top 3 Reasons to Microchip Your Pet

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It is every pet owner’s worst nightmare. You go to look for your pet, and it  is nowhere to be found. It’s lost. What happens next can vary greatly. For the best chances of having your pet returned to you in this situation, it is a good idea to have it  microchipped. Here are three excellent reasons to microchip your pet.

Help Your Pet Avoid the Pound

When your pet becomes lost, it  might be found by anyone. Most people who find a pet today will take it to a vet or shelter to have the pet’s microchip read, so that it can be returned to its owner. If your pet doesn’t have a microchip, chances are good that it could end up in the city pound. If your pet ends up in the pound, you might not be able to find out where it is or if it  is okay. Your pet could get adopted out to another family, or may even be put to sleep if there is not room for it in the shelter. Read more

Saying Goodbye to Your Pet: Hospice and Euthanasia

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Saying goodbye to your pet is often one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. Everyone dreads hearing those words: “There is nothing more we can do.” When those words are spoken by your vet, you have some hard decisions to make. Keeping your pet alive or opting immediately for euthanasia is a choice that only you can make.

What is Hospice?

Veterinary hospice is very similar to the hospice that the healthcare industry uses for human patients. The primary purpose of veterinary hospice is to keep your pet as comfortable as possible for however long is necessary. You may want to keep your pet comfortable and put off euthanasia so that a family member can get home to say goodbye. You may want to allow your pet to die naturally rather than euthanizing them. Or, you may want to keep your pet comfortable for a period of time until you euthanize them on a predetermined date.

When you place your pet in hospice care, the vet will do everything they can to make your pet comfortable. Pain medications and other treatments for symptom management are the primary focus of this treatment. Most vets will also spend time supporting the family in whatever way they need. Read more