Posts in Category: Seasonal Pet Care

It’s ironic that a season overflowing with goodness and gratitude also has the potential to cause certain calamities. When it comes to pet holiday safety, it’s important to temper all the fear and worry with sweet offerings that make the holidays so worthwhile and memorable. We can help you get ready for all the great things the season supplies all while standing guard for the possibilities for illness or injury.

Mold spores, pollen, and other allergens are hitting their stride in our neck of the woods, so if pet itching and sneezing are on the uptick in your household, you’ve come to the right place. In this Arlington pet owners guide for allergies, we’ll share our team’s tips for preventing allergies and finding the right treatment options to keep your pets comfortable this fall and all year long.

If you had to rank the seasons in order of their potential risk to pets, summer would have to come first. Not only do pets have to contend with serious spikes in temperature and humidity, but there’s always something on the social calendar that can threaten a pet’s safety, comfort and well-being. While there’s a lot of fun to be had between Memorial Day and Labor Day, a great deal of consideration for pet safety must take precedence. 

Cats are fully equipped to handle weather extremes, but they aren’t invincible to severe exposure. Their thick fur coats add layers of comfort, but what about the thin skin around their ear tips, those cute little paws, or that adorable triangular nose? It is critical to elevate cat safety during winter months in order to maintain overall good health. 

Water can be a fun shared activity for your family and your pets. However, just like it’s important to keep a close watch on kids around water at all times, you must do it for your furry friends as well. 

Before you take your pooch for a swim or a splash in a body of water, learn how to keep them safe and healthy! Check out these water safety tips for dogs from the team at Arlington Animal Hospital. 

Dogs can smell like a lot of things, depending on what they eat, their health, and what things they have been exposed to (or rolled around on) outdoors. But if your dog is smelling like last night’s flounder dinner, it can be both offensive to the olfactory system and also concerning. 

Why does my dog smell like fish? That’s what the team at Arlington Animal Hospital is here to explain.

Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are fighting back. As a pet owner, you are probably aware of how annoying these pests can be to you and your pet. But you may not know that experts are now recommending year round parasite prevention.

Parasite Problems

The trouble with parasites is that they not only annoy you and your pet with painful bites, they can also transmit serious diseases. What used to be a problem from May – September is now a year round threat, thanks to warming climates and more resilient bugs. In the Arlington area, we’re just not seeing the seasonal die off of parasites that we used to. So even one missed dose of your pet’s preventive leaves them vulnerable to a host of issues.

It’s impossible to think about Halloween without considering – at least once or twice – how cute it would be to dress your pet up for the holiday. Indeed, no pet owner can walk by a store display without being transfixed and inspired by the vast array of clever and adorable pet costumes (it’s also perfectly acceptable to opt for something DIY!).

No matter what you choose, it’s important to not sacrifice your pet’s health and safety for a good photo op. That’s why the vets at Arlington Animal Hospital have compiled the following tips and tricks for fun and safe pet costumes! Continue…

With spring (finally) here and summer on the way, our thoughts naturally turn to how we can protect our pets from the dangers associated with warm weather. Making sure they’re hydrated, watching out for heatstroke, and being alert to poisoning risks are all important safety measures, but it’s important to remember that ticks also pose a significant danger to your pets.

Lyme disease is one of the most common tick-borne illnesses that affect pets, and its effects can be devastating. Preventing and detecting Lyme disease in pets is a crucial aspect of summer safety in Virginia.

Continue…

Most people suffer from allergies of some kind, but we aren’t the only ones experiencing adverse reactions to the seasons, environment, or food. Allergies in pets may not always come up on a pet owner’s radar, but they can truly cause pain, discomfort, and stress.

Continue…