Pregnant? You can keep your cat! All about Toxoplasmosis

Many pregnant women go to their first doctor visit and leave with unnecessary fear and anxiety about their beloved cat. Physicians have been getting better in the past years, but there are still some doctors out there who have not kept up with the times, and are telling pregnant women they cannot have a cat […]

How to buy and introduce a scratching post for your cat

Shopping for a scratching post for your new cat? Thinking about declawing but want to offer an option besides your leather couch first? Buying a scratching post is a great idea, but buying the right one can make all the difference between your cat using it regularly, or ignoring it and working on the couch […]

You are not the alpha dog – the myth of dominance

Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, we were taught by the experts of the time that dogs needed to be in a pack, and that it was important for the human to be the “alpha dog” in that pack. The human had to be dominant, or the other dogs would perhaps try to dominate […]

Is my dog in pain?

How to know if your dog is in pain? When it comes to concealing pain, dogs have mad skills. Many of them are people pleasers. Very few dogs want to be a party pooper. So, hurting or not, the show must go on! They don’t want to let on if they are hurting. They will […]

Ear infections in dogs and cats

Ear infections can be one of the most frustrating conditions to treat! If your senior pet has never had an ear infection, they probably never will. Other pets, particularly dogs, have a constant, lifelong battle with ear infections. Some dogs it’s just one ear, but always that same ear! What gives? These dogs that seem to […]

Alternatives to tooth brushing

In a perfect world, your pet saunters up to you, carrying his toothbrush in his mouth, requesting you brush his teeth while he calmly cooperates. Birds are chirping. The sun is shining. We all know we don’t live in a perfect world. Some pets, no matter how slowly you try to ease them in, will […]

How many shots does my puppy or kitten need?

There seems to be so much confusion on this question – even people who work in vet clinics often do not understand! How many “distemper shots” should this puppy or kitten get? Once you know the science behind it, it is actually quite simple.  There is no set number of vaccinations a puppy or kitten […]

Pet Food Trials

Your veterinarian might have suggested a food trial for a couple reasons. If your dog has chronic ear infections and/or an itchy rear end, an allergy to food is top of the suspect list. If your cat has itchy spots, pulls out her hair, or has scabby areas, it could be her food she’s allergic […]

Coconut oil – magic…..or meh?

Meh. Coconut oil is over-rated. Kinda like New Year’s Eve – supposed to be magic, but in reality, not that great, and overpriced. No, it isn’t terrible. There is a small niche of animals that truly can benefit. For the majority of problems, however, there are much better options out there. Let’s break it down: […]

Adventures in housecall practice:

Today we were examining a nervous kitty on the couch. He was doing rather well, until his brother snuck around behind Shannon, my tech, and ATTACKED him out of the blue! As if his day wasn’t bad enough! Brother was grounded after that. Poor Shannon had two cats’ worth of hissing claws briefly thrashing around […]