Prevention

We’ve reviewed two of the leading medications, Frontline and Advantage, so you can choose which medication fits your dog’s flea and tick needs best.

Being a responsible pet owner means providing our pets with regular preventative medications in addition to medications treating health conditions. Being a good pet parent can also be expensive which leads us to search for alternatives. There are several places you can buy online to save money, but you should shop with caution…

Although sometimes referred to as Banfield Pet Insurance, Banfield isn’t pet insurance — it’s a wellness membership plan (whose logo suggests it’s a vet’s office). Despite all this confusion, the primary question we have — is Banfield wellness care worth it? Its plans don’t cover illness or injury, only preventative care…

How cool would it be to track your dog’s daily activity (think Fitbit for your pup!)? Your wish is now reality and we recently took a look at the leaders in this new and exciting category to review the top players. From GPS tracking and fitness monitoring to goal setting and comparing your dog to others, you are going to be blown away by all the cool features in these new high-tech devices…

The topic of spaying and neutering is most often brought up by dog owners; however, it is a subject that should be addressed by all pet owners. There are many benefits of spaying and neutering including: improved health outlook, improved temperament, a declining homeless pet population and a reduction in the expense associated with breeding…

While the holidays can be the most festive season for us, they can also be the most hazardous time of year for our four-pawed family members. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to help make sure your dear dog or cat enjoys a healthy, happy holiday season…

A pet urine test, gives you the results of urinalysis related illness including bladder infections, kidney stones and urinary tract infections. This can be very handy for pet owners whose dogs experience UTI’s frequently. Instead of taking your dog to the vet for a dog UTI test, you can conduct one at home by purchasing a urine test for dogs and then administer your dog’s medication when needed. There are two companies we’d like to discuss about their urinalysis test for dogs: Petnostics and PetConfirm…

Vaccinations are a crucial part of the health of your pet dog. For owners of new puppies, the vaccination schedule seems never ending, but as dogs age, this schedule consolidates to two yearly vet visits. In this article we will take a look at what vaccinations your dog should receive, what they are for and how old your dog should be when they receive each vaccination…

Every year seems to be more ominous when it comes to the threat of disease-ridden ticks and fleas, especially where my family and I live. While we have a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge mountains from our home with deer often in our backyard, our lawn backs up to tall grasses and woods that attract ticks and other pests. Our dog loves to roam our surroundings, but he’s brought unwelcome pests into our home…

Canine parvovirus type 2 or parvo, is a highly contagious virus that is particularly prominent in the canine community. Parvo is of particular concern for puppy owners due to the severity of symptoms and the weak immune systems of younger dogs. There are ways to help prevent the spread of parvo and as a responsible dog owner it is important to be familiar with these prevention methods. Effective prevention begins with understanding the virology and pathophysiology of the virus itself…

Is your dog at risk for a heat stroke? No question that warm weather is idealistic for pet owners to enjoy the outdoors with man’s best friend. But what happens when it becomes too hot? It is important to understand the symptoms of heat stroke in dogs and how to prevent it…