Your Four-Legged Travel Buddy

Bringing your dog along on a family vacation can be a wonderful experience for everyone, especially if you've carefully prepared.

Traveling by Air

Reserve a space for your dog on the plane with you. In-cabin flying is safer for your pet and allows you to be close. (If your pet isn't allowed to travel in-cabin, we strongly recommend you board her at home rather than send her as cargo.) Your pet will have to go through security, just like you. While your dog will not be required to go through the X-ray machine, your carrier might, so be sure to bring a leash.

Traveling by Car

Your dog should be securely restrained in some way whenever she's in the car. That may mean using a carrier, a special car harness or seat belt for your dog. Use a seat belt to securely anchor the carrier during transit. Your dog should ride in the backseat of the car, and you should never leave your dog in the car alone.

Schedule your travel preparation appointment today - get 15% off through the end of July!

Planes, Trains, Automobiles - And Your Dog

Traveling can be a stressful experience all by itself. Adding your dog can make it even more hairy. Here are some tips for a smooth trip.

If you're flying...

Research your airline's policies regarding pet travel. Some airlines allow dogs below a certain size to ride in the cabin, but only to certain destinations and with specific carriers.

If you're traveling by car...

Get your dog used to car rides by taking short trips first; then increasing the trip length. Study your route so you can identify where to take rest stops. Also, identify veterinary practices at your destination, just in case. We would be happy to share our recommendations.

The most important travel preparation you can make is to visit our office. We can make sure your dog is up-to-date on vaccinations and provide appropriate paperwork. We can also microchip your pooch if she doesn't already have one. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date with the registry and on your dog's collar and tag.

Set up your travel preparation appointment today, and save 15% on travel prep/wellness exams through the month of July!

The Pet Jet Set

Hitting the road for a few days away can be a lot of fun. And those sweet puppy-dog eyes begging to come along can be hard to resist. Before you give in to that plaintive expression, though, ask yourself these questions to decide if your dog is ready for the trip.

How are you planning to travel?

A dog who travels well in a car may not travel well in a plane. Also, some breeds can only travel on airplanes as cargo, a method that can be especially risky for pets.

How does your dog react to change?

A shy or skittish dog may find the change in routine much less appealing than you do.

How healthy is your dog?

If your dog is older or suffers from a chronic condition, the stresses of traveling may negatively affect her health.

If you think your dog is up for a travel adventure, contact us today to set up a travel prep appointment for your jet-setting dog! We're offering 15% off travel prep/wellness exams through the month of July!

Protect Your Pets' Health

Good health is cheap... until you don't have it.

Then afternoons playing fetch and the sessions of catch the catnip mouse can be replaced by much more expensive activities such as repeated trips to see us.

While preventive care is not possible for every veterinary issue (we haven't been able to predict a broken leg yet!), many conditions are not only more treatable when caught early, that treatment is also often much less expensive.

The best way to make sure that any issues your pet may develop are caught early is to stick to a regular well visit schedule, because - when you think about it - peace of mind is priceless.

Contact us today to schedule a well visit during June 2014 and save 15%!

Be in the Know

We hear it all too often, "I didn't know there was a problem!" Our pets are experts at many things, and hiding illness happens to be one of them.

That's why well visits are so critical to your pet's well being. By regularly checking your pet's vital stats, we can identify and treat issues before they become problems. How often your pet needs to make a visit to our office depends on your pet and his unique needs, such as age, breed and existing health conditions, to name a few. At minimum, we'd like to see your pet at least once a year - remember, that's like you seeing your doctor once every five to seven years!

Make sure you're in the know on your pet's health. Contact us TODAY to schedule a well visit during June 2014, and get 15% off!

Cancer and Your Canine

Even if we're lucky enough to not experience it firsthand, very few of us are unaware of the devastating effects cancer can have. But many of us don't know that this disease can affect our entire family, even those who walk on four feet and not two. In fact, according to the Morris Animal Foundation, dogs older than 2 are most likely to die from cancer.

Your dog can develop cancers as varied as those that affect people, and for the same reasons. While no sure-fire cancer preventative exists, we as pet parents can help protect our four-legged family members from getting the disease. Certain breeds - Golden retrievers and Bernese Mountain dogs, for example - are more likely to develop certain cancers, so know your pet's risk. Make sure she gets plenty of exercise and eats healthfully, and limit her exposure to known cancer-causing agents, like tobacco smoke.

And finally, make sure your pup has regular wellness visits with us so we can ensure any issues are caught early and treated with a fully healthy outcome in mind.

Together, let's take your pet into old age!

Scratch That!

Fleas and ticks have an unfortunate long-term relationship with our pets. While these pests will never go away, we can keep them from rebounding on our four-legged family members.

A variety of products such as topicals, chews and shampoos are available to help protect your pet from these pesky pests. When using such products, however, be sure to always follow the instructions, and never mix products and species. For example, never treat your cat with dog-specific flea treatments. Cats are much more vulnerable to insecticides, and using canine products on your cat could seriously harm or even kill your pet.

In addition to chemical preventatives, you can also somewhat control your environment. Fleas thrive in shady, humid areas, so the more sunlight you can give your yard, the less likely you are to play host to these pests. Ticks prefer areas of tall grass, brush or leaf-litter, so try to keep these areas to a minimum in your landscaping.

Call us today to buy your pet's protection!