Around Easter, many pet stores stock up on hot items including live chicks and rabbits.  These animals are often given to young children as presents. After Easter the number of relinquished rabbits and chicks overwhelms many shelters. The current proposed bill will result in extremely young and delicate chicks, ducks and bunnies being sold as Easter gifts. These fragile beings will also be dyed further inflicting unnecessary distress in these animals. The dyed appearance will cause…

October is celebrated as Adopt A Dog/Adopt a Shelter Dog Month across the US.  This observance helps shine a light on the needs of the millions of dogs in shelters and rescues across the country who need homes.

Although accurate numbers are hard to determine, it is estimated that about 4 million pets are euthanized each year.  What makes this more tragic is that an estimated 17 million people will bring a new pet into their home during this year.

Some…

Polk Government Television has sided with pet lovers and animal welfare by committing to a monthly educational show about pets called Pet Connection. I am honored to be a partner in this venture and be able to live my passion of educating the public about…

This Thanksgiving Holiday is a great opportunity for pet owners to be aware of the myriad of hazards to go along with the holiday parties.

The delicious smells of roasted  turkey and baked goods may prove a very tempting opportunity for our pets to beg and steal way some foodstuffs. I always remind pet owners of the many foods that should be banned for pet consumption. These foods include: excessively salty foods, sweets and chocolate, foods with onion or onion powder, excessively…

October is a busy month full of activities that cater to dog owners. The great weather and the hint of the Holidays converge to create several great events in which our Hospital is proudly participating.

The first event that I fully endorse is…

If you have a pet or multiple pets living in your home, chances are you already know about the need to help them keep their teeth and gums healthy with a trip to the dentist. Just like humans, cats and dogs can suffer…

Biscuit is a sweet looking pug that suffered through a string of health issues that resulted in her being abandoned. She was very weak on her hind legs, extremely thin, pale and lethargic. She was not able to play or exercise for more than a minute or she would faint. She was acting depressed and unlike the happy go lucky attitude of her breed. The worst issue was the urinary incontinence which made it very unappealing to have as a…

Behavior issues are seldom simply due to one issue. Genetics, environment and early experiences all play a role. In addition any medical conditions or even medications can contribute to behavior changes. Therefore, your veterinarian is the BEST person…

Veterinarians have long told pet lovers about the importance of good dental care. However, danger is lurking. Conscientious pet owners are being misled by aggressive marketing of a ‘fad’ option, “Non-Anesthesia Pet Dentistry” (NAPD).

This trend, using unlicensed and unsupervised individuals, advocates non-anesthetic techniques that may actually be harmful to…

Lasers are now being used to help heal wounds or provide pain relief for arthritic pets!

Photobiomodulation is the fancy word that describes how a laser is used to stimulate cells in an animal’s body. Unlike a surgical laser that uses a high energy output, lasers used to heal and relieve pain use a…

I just treated a case where a dog ingested a whole bag of hersheys kisses, aluminum foil and all! The dog as big and after inducing vomit we recover all the offending kisses but it brought to mind all the other cases where dogs and cats have eaten strange things like plastic flowers,dvd covers,earrings and coins.

Why do our pets eat these weird things in…

Tammy gets credit for this funny!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PETS,

THIS IS A TRUE STORY.…