Library
-
While the holidays bring more challenges to the already difficult winter months, we can’t forget about indoor and outdoor toxins frequently seen at this time of year. Keeping your pets healthy and safe will help keep the holidays stress free.
-
An increase in your pet's breathing rate while resting quietly or sleeping is an early clinical sign that your pet may be developing heart failure and needs to see your veterinarian. In general, all normal dogs and cats have a breathing rate of between 15-30 breaths per minute when they are resting. Resting breathing rates that are consistently greater than 30 breaths per minute are increased and considered abnormal.
-
Home renovation can be arduous for every member of the household. Awareness of possible construction site problems will help homeowners avoid pet-related issues. A little planning can make the renovation process run more smoothly everyone.
-
Taking care of a paralyzed pet comes with many challenges. This handout reviews the needs of a paralyzed pet and how an owner can help them at home.
-
Providing hospice care for pets as they approach their end of life is a relatively young discipline within veterinary medicine. Although the foundational principles of veterinary hospice care are derived fairly directly from those of human hospice care, there are some critical differences between providing hospice care to a human family member and providing hospice care to an animal family member.
-
Hospice care for pets is an emerging niche of veterinary medicine that creates and relies on a unique caring collaboration between the pet owner and members of the veterinary healthcare team. Pet hospice is patterned after the delivery of the end-of-life care provided for human patients, with the additional provision from the veterinarian for humane euthanasia when the pet’s day-to-day quality of life becomes unacceptable.
-
House training is best accomplished with patience and positive reinforcement. Teaching a cat to be well house-trained makes them a more enjoyable pet and a welcome guest. Many cats nearly house train themselves, but it's important to meet cats' needs to ensure they maintain desirable habits for a lifetime.
-
Cats, with their curious nature, may fall victim to poisoning within the home. Cats’ small size, lack of ability to metabolize certain drugs, and their tendency to hide symptoms when ill, make their poisoning less obvious compared to dogs and may also delay treatment.
-
Since cats are living longer and longer, they are also experiencing the deterioration and debilitation that goes along with aging. This includes the development of osteoarthritis. No one is in a better position to identify the subtle changes in behavior that may signal pain than human family members. You may observe changes in the following: vocalization, daily activities, daily habits, facial expressions, or posture. Your cat may show uncharacteristic behavior to other pets or family members. If you notice any of these changes, contact your veterinarian.
-
Baths should be performed in a comfortably warm area, using lukewarm water. Medicated shampoo should be applied to a clean, wet coat, so start by thoroughly rinsing your cat with lukewarm water. Shampoo should be worked into the coat thoroughly and allowed to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing unless directed otherwise by your veterinarian.