Benefits of Traveling with Your Dog and Pet Friendly Hotels

YlbdvdWith summer officially here, many families are traveling and and making vacation plans. If you have a dog, before you think about leaving him or her behind, consider these benefits of traveling with your furry friend.

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How to Protect Your Dog’s Paws in the Summer

Protect Dogs PawsMany dog owners take their furry friends on walks to enjoy the warm summer weather with them, but often times they forget about one important detail: hot pavement can and will burn a dog’s paws. While it can be tempting to bring your dog everywhere you go, it can cause serious harm to your beloved pet if you are not careful. Keep in mind that if asphalt and cement can get hot enough to cook an egg during the summer or it feels way too hot for you to leave your hands comfortably on the ground for at least 10 seconds, it can result in nasty burns on your dog’s paw pads, especially if your have a new puppy with tender young paws. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can protect your dog from getting burned this summer.

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Canine Influenza Vaccine and Recent Outbreaks

Dog VaccineIn our article Canine Influenza Virus we discussed the symptoms and types, diagnosis and treatment, and living and management of the virus. This article will discuss the recent outbreaks and what you can do to help prevent the virus from affecting your pet.

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Tips for Protecting Pets for Winter

10172828_711107185614321_5747443987048895088_nWinter is the season of cold and for some areas, numbing wetness. Make sure your pets stay safe and warm  by following these simple guidelines.

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Cold Weather Activities for Pets

10172828_711107185614321_5747443987048895088_nDoes this cold winter weather of you and your pet feeling a little antsy? If you’re used to spending time outdoors, then chances are you’re both probably starting to feel a little restless by now.

Making an effort for both you and your pet to stay indoors this winter is great for the mind and body. Your pet will enjoy and appreciate the chance to play and be able to stay active and healthy at the same time. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

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Fall Weight Management Tips for Your Pet

13634795461edmuIt is officially Fall! This means shorter days, changing leaves, a crisp breeze, football, holidays and food. And with food comes the seasonal weight gain. We seem to find more and more excuses to stay inside our homes as the temperature drops. Add this to the holiday celebrations with the natural tendency to crave comfort food for the colder months, and you have the perfect combination for seasonal weight gain.

Overweight pets face many of the same health issues and concerns as people, including: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bone and joint problems, various forms of cancers, and a shortened life expectancy, just to name a few. Fortunately, with a few simple modifications, you and your pet can avoid the seasonal weight gain.

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Could Your Dog Have Fall Allergies Too?

file1491279116895We’ve all seen or felt it before: the sneezing, the itching, the watery eyes, the irritated nasal passages and so on. But your dog is now exhibiting signs of the typical behavior for fall allergies in humans. Could your dog have allergies too? Is this even possible? What are the signs and symptoms you should be concerned about, and when is the appropriate time to call the vet?

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Feline Rabies Treatment and Management

1381052923npyt0Feline Rabies is an inflammatory infection that specifically affects the gray matter of the cat’s brain and its central nervous system (CNS). The primary way the rabies virus is transmitted to cats in the United States is through a bite from a disease carrier: foxes, raccoons, skunks, and bats. Infectious virus particles are retained in a rabid animal’s salivary glands to better disseminate the virus through their saliva.

Once the virus enters the cat’s body, it replicates in the cells of the muscles and then spreads to the closest nerve fibers, including all peripheral, sensory and motor nerves, traveling from there to the CNS via fluid within the nerves. The virus can take up to a month to develop, but once the symptoms have begun, the virus progresses rapidly.

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Intestinal Parasite Screenings for Cats

1386557497jaka5Parasites often go unnoticed because they are “silent”. Intestinal parasites that are more common have adapted so well to their hosts (your cat), that they are living in balance and cause no observational health issues. This can always change though, because when the parasites become too numerous the pet’s health is affected. The best approach, because of their silent nature, is to try to keep pets completely free of them before the balance becomes disturbed.

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The Chemistry Panel in Dogs and Cats

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Have you ever wondered what the normal values for the blood chemistry elements for dogs and cats are? Well, “normal” is actually quite relative. Every veterinary diagnostic lab and “in clinic” laboratory equipment will have its own set of calibrated values that are considered “normal”. So as to be expected, the “normal values” will vary.

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