Veterinary Blog

For many pet owners, the dog park is basically the perfect place. Our dogs can socialize and burn off energy while enjoying some freedom, while we chat with other owners and enjoy some outdoor time. It’s a win-win.

Before you grab the leash and head out the door, take a moment to review basic dog park etiquette!

Dog Park Etiquette 101

Besides familiarizing yourself with the rules at a specific dog park, practicing good dog park etiquette will help to ensure the safety of all the dogs at the park and keep the park enjoyable for all:

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What’s more fun than a summer getaway? Why, bringing your best furry friend along, too! In fact, many pet owners choose to take their pets on journeys near and far, especially during the summer months when vacation season is in full swing.

But as you might expect, bringing an animal companion on a trip, whether by car or plane, requires some forethought, planning, and safety measures. Arlington Animal Hospital has you covered with our list of pet travel tips for your upcoming adventures.

Pet Travel Tips for Safety AND Adventure

Before you pack your bags and head out, the first stop with any trip involving your pet is to ensure their readiness for the trip. This means making sure your pet is in good health, is on the right vaccines and parasite preventatives for the destination, and is generally able to deal with the stress of new places, smells, and experiences.

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Veterinary acupuncture, or pet acupuncture, is an incredible noninvasive therapeutic modality that complements existing treatment options. For several centuries, acupuncture was practiced throughout the Far East as a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has more recently been embraced by Western medicine.

Like acupuncture for humans, pet acupuncture is used in a variety of ways, most significantly to alleviate pain, encourage healing, and promote greater well being.

Defining Veterinary Acupuncture as a New Therapy

While it may sound esoteric, acupuncture relies on the understanding of the body as comprised of energy pathways or meridians, which include nerve bundles, blood vessels, and tissue. Through the use of very fine needles placed strategically into the top dermal layer, acupuncture works by stimulating the body’s natural healing and pain relief responses.

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An estimated 95% of U.S. cats and dogs will need treatment for dental disease at some point in their lives, and your pet’s dental health has a significant impact on his or her wellness and longevity.  We here at Arlington Animal Hospital are excited to help you learn about pet dental health and make a commitment to providing your pets with regular preventative care.

Pet Dental Disease 101

Dental disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an infection of the teeth, gums, and surrounding structures. Dental disease affects the majority of dogs and cats over age 3 and is one of the most common diseases seen and treated by veterinarians.

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In this world of increasingly grey areas, one thing is absolute: children adore animals. There’s nothing simpler or more meaningful than the bond between a pet and his or her young master/mistress/guardian/playmate/partner in crime.

That being said, many dynamic duos need a little help to make sure everyone remains safe. Wondering how to make the world of children and pet safety easier on the whole family? Arlington Animal Hospital is here to help!

The Cart Before the Horse

Welcoming an animal into your home has unlimited benefits. Pets tap into your child’s potential for learning trust, respect, compassion, empathy, and caring.  They can even boost his or her self-esteem. However, your child must be patient, understanding, and accommodating to the myriad needs of a new pet.

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Ew! You just stepped outside and stepped in a pile of dog poop! Scenes like these may make the mantra, “Scoop the poop!” a well-deserved one, but more importantly, cleaning up after your dog helps prevent the spread of parasites and disease.

That’s right. There are several risks to the health and wellbeing of your pet, as well as other pets and people, when animal waste is allowed to accumulate in public places.

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While warm weather may bring out all of the fleas, ticks, and other pests of the summer season, leaving your pet unprotected from parasites during other seasons may put him or her at risk for a number of vector-borne diseases.

Despite the thought that pests are only active during warmer months, flea infestations can pose problems year-round and deer ticks (black-legged ticks) are often active during the winter months, as well.

Because sporadic treatment makes it difficult to prevent initial infestations, skipping your pet’s parasite preventative can be a dangerous gamble, no matter the time of year.

Fleas, Ticks…What’s the Risk?

Although many pet owners may consider parasites to be an itchy annoyance, the diseases they carry can pose serious risks to the health of a pet.

Fleas and ticks, for example, have a life cycle that perpetuates the risk of exposure through continuing to lay eggs and multiply. Fleas can also thrive indoors during winter months, going through the cycle of laying eggs which produce larvae, pupae, and then hundreds of adult fleas.

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When confronted with troubling symptoms, it can be difficult to know when to “wait it out” or when to call in a bona fide pet emergency. Your pet is also skilled at masking symptoms, leaving you to wonder whether he or she is simply having an “off” day…

That’s why Arlington Animal Hospital wants you to know how to recognize and handle a pet emergency. Your swift actions will enable your pet to get the life-saving help he or she needs.

Red Flags

When it comes to a pet emergency, there are certain tell-tale signs that indicate immediate medical attention is required. Please do not wait to contact us if you notice any of the following:

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As a responsible pet owner, you’ve probably heard about wellness care. But beyond the basics of nutrition, exercise, and companionship, what else is there?

Routine check-ups lie at the core of pet wellness, and while we love seeing you and your pet, there’s more to these exams than just chit chat. We view wellness care as an opportunity to fine tune and focus the conversation on your pet’s current and future health and help you develop a proactive approach.

Prevention is Key

When you visit your physician, basic information is gathered such as heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and temperature. Likewise, when we examine a healthy pet, it helps us establish a baseline to reference in the event of any health changes.   Continue…