May events for area rescues

Pasta for Pets Gateway Pet Guardians is hosting their annual Pasta for Pets at the Sybergs in O’Fallon, IL on Sun, May 17 from 2-5 pm. Along with great food, there will be many silent auction items, live music,  and raffles as well! Click here for details. Splash for Rescues Camp Bow-wow is hosting their […]

Should we panic over the dog flu?

Nope. Wait, I guess I should write more than that. First, some perspective. In 2013, a total of 56,979 people in this country died of influenza and/or related complications. This did not make the news. Recently 1,000 or more dogs in Chicago come down with influenza, 5 dogs died, and it’s making national headlines. To […]

Tick protection options

Many safe and effective options exist. Topicals like Frontline, Vectra, and K9 Advantix have been used for years. Collars such as Seresto or Preventic are popular as well, and work great. Recently, two new oral products came out that are getting fabulous reviews from both vets prescribing them and clients using them. Nexgard is a […]

Shelter/rescue events for April

5K-9 Run a 5K race with your dog (or you can run it solo)! Gateway Pet Guardians is hosting the event at Rock Springs park in O’Fallon, IL on April 25. Click here for details. Partners for Pets fundraisers Partners for pets in Troy, IL, is having many events in April! Tuesday April 7 is […]

Hungry ticks transmit disease

Everyone hears tick disease, they think of Lyme disease. And that’s great….if you live in an area where Lyme is the most common tick-borne disease (which is the Northeast and Wisconsin). People can get it, as can dogs, and even outdoorsy cats. In our area, Lyme disease is not nearly as common as Ehrlichiosis. Lyme […]

March events for area shelters

Doggie Easter Egg Hunt Camp Bow-Wow in Swansea is hosting an Easter egg hunt for dogs to benefit the Belleville Area Humane Society. It ‘s March 28 at 11am, with a rain date of March 29. Click here for details. Texas Hold ’em Event Act Now Rescue is hosting it’s annual Texas Hold’ em tournament […]

Does your dog need a Leptospirosis vaccination?

When I first started making house calls, I debated whether or not to offer the vaccine against Leptospirosis. I didn’t routinely carry it, but for the small number of dogs who needed it, I would order it and vaccinate them. Well, I decided to just start carrying it. There are many pros and cons to […]

Stop the itch!

Midwest living is great – unless you’re a dog or cat with environmental allergies! Those of us with itchy pets know how frustrating it can be to constantly manage the symptoms, with only varying levels of success. Understanding the concept of “pruritic threshold” can make this constant struggle a little better.  Most allergic pets are […]

Sentinel Rebates End March 31

Last year a new company started making Sentinel, but the rebates were already started. The rebate program ends March 31, and no one knows if they new manufacturer will continue it or not. Meanwhile, if you need Sentinel speak up! As long as purchases are made by March31 you have beyond that to submit the […]

Scheduling until May

As you may know, I frequently fill in at a few vet clinics in the area when a vet goes out of town, is sick, has a baby, etc. Working this “relief vet” job lets me: Keep in practice with reading x-rays and performing ultrasounds Maintain my surgical skills by having a few surgery days […]