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

The First Things to Do When You Get a New Pet

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Getting a new pet can be very exciting for you and your family, but there are some important first steps that you should take before your get your pet settled into their new home. Regardless of the type of pet you get, you want to make sure that the pet is healthy and has a fresh start in your home. Follow these steps to give your pet the best fresh start.

A Wellness Visit

It is important that you take your new pet into the vet for a wellness visit. If your new pet is a puppy or kitten, they will need to have their development measured and receive some basic vaccinations. If you have adopted an older pet, it is important to have them examined to determine if they have any health conditions you should be aware of.

Microchip

You should get your new pet microchipped as soon as possible. Microchipping your pet will help make sure that they can find their way home if they get lost. If you are adopting an older pet, they may already have a chip. Take them to your vet to see if they have a chip and have the information updated to your contact information. Read more

Signs Your Pet Has Allergies

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It may surprise you that just as humans have allergies, so too can your pets. Allergies can be to a particular item, foods, or seasonal allergies. The most common pets to have allergies are dogs. It can be difficult to tell if your dog has allergies, as the cause of the symptoms may not be apparent. You may also not realize that all of the symptoms are related to the same condition.

Common Symptoms

Symptoms of allergies in your pet are similar to allergy symptoms for humans. You will likely notice that your pet’s skin is red and irritated. It may be tender to the touch as well. Pets will often be itchy when they are suffering from allergies, and they may have excessive shedding. Sometimes skin irritations can become infected due to scratching and bacteria entering the skin.

Other Signs Your Pet Has Allergies

There are some things that your pet might do if they are suffering from allergies. Paw licking is a sign of discomfort. Some pets may drag their butt across the floor or lick the anal region. They will likely be biting and scratching themselves as if they have fleas, but without any sign of pests. They may also have chronic ear infections or respiratory problems. Read more

Why You Should Microchip Your Pet

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Many people consider their pet as a member of the family. Since we see them as one of us, shouldn’t we be taking the extra step to ensure their safety? Accidents happen, and sometimes our pets get lost. Microchipping is a safe and effective technology that allows us to recover our missing pets when these accidents do happen.

How is the Microchip Inserted?

Microchipping is a very quick process that can be done at a scheduled vet appointment. The implantation procedure is simple and virtually painless for your pets. The chip is inserted by one of our veterinarians through an injection, much like a vaccination. After the chip is inserted, you and the veterinarian can go through the microchip registration process together.

How Does the Microchip Work?

Brand new microchip technology has completely changed the microchip and recovery process to one that is very simple. The old system required tedious work, only for the chips to often not be in the database. Luckily, a new system was created by a group of rescuers known as Save This Life, and gave this process a much-needed update.

Now, if your pet becomes lost and is taken to a clinic or vet equipped with a scanner, the process to be reunited is much quicker. With this new system, all the microchips are available with a quick Google search. Simply have someone from the animal clinic scan for a microchip and search the chip number on Google. This will pull up your contact information and send you a GPS location with the location that your pet was found. Additionally, a Lost Pet Alert will be sent out to shelters and rescues within a 25-mile radius of your pet’s last known location. Read more