As veterinarians, we've shared a lot of information about how to keep your pets safe around water. What you might not realize, however, is that, after saving your pet from a near-drowning, they might not be out of the woods. Just as with humans, pets can fall victim to dry or secondary drowning, and we explore that and how to keep them safe below.

We've all been there. The bills have been mounting but life continues to move on in other ways, including pets that perhaps don't feel well. And we know that veterinary services during this COVID-19 pandemic are more challenging to receive. So you're scrolling the internet and you see an ad that claims “Discount pet drugs—no prescription required”. Even we in the veterinary community understand the appeal of this, but FDA experts say it can be risky to buy drugs online from sites that tout this message and others like it.

Blood tests are an easy, safe, and relatively inexpensive way to peer inside your pets and find potential health problems. Analysis of the numbers and structure of blood cells is important in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease and infection. These tests can help us identify a problem before clinical signs or symptoms appear. But what exactly are we looking for when we do a blood draw on dogs and cats?

You may have seen the quote: “The best therapist has fur and four legs” floating around the interwebs by way of inspirational memes, but is there any truth to this saying? According to studies performed by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), our pets can actually benefit our mental health in a variety of ways.

Life has definitely changed in the past several weeks. We hear daily of more and more stores, restaurants, beaches, and parks being closed, along with a ton of event cancellations. "Social distancing" has become part of our everyday vernacular. In most states, we are allowed only to go out for essentials, to get gas, to walk our dogs, and to get exercise. We're generally allowed to walk outside freely (with the very strong recommendation that we endeavor to keep a distance of at least 6 feet from another person).

As you may have noticed if you’ve visited with us in the last year or two, our hospital and policies are evolving to promote a more Fear Free approach to providing veterinary care. Fear Free medicine is aimed at reducing fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in our patients. While this is certainly more enjoyable for your furry friends (and our staff), our motivation goes deeper than that.

Brr! Frost is in the air, and we humans aren’t the only creatures who feel it. Here are some tips to keep our pets comfortable, healthy, and safe through the winter. Please do keep in mind that each animal is unique, and some of our pets may need more TLC to get them through the cold weather than others.