Animal Care Clinic, INc.

“He’s not whining or anything. So he’s not in pain.” Owners often say this about their pets, but it never gets easier to hear. At first, the logic seems sound. We all know that dog and cats can vocalize when in extreme pain. In these situations, the pain is obvious. But most animals in pain do not whine or cry out. Instead, they suffer in silence. The Wild Instinct Imagine being a dog or a cat. You are wilder than a human being and you have strong survival instincts. A strang

A study in Veterinary Dermatology recently found that 9 out of 10 over-the-counter diets include more ingredients than are listed on the bag. This spells trouble for dogs with food allergies, because they are often sensitive to a specific meat, like beef, chicken, or fish. Elimination Diets Must Be Prescription Diets Since over-the-counter diets are unreliable with their actual ingredients, a prescription diet must be used during a food trial when food allergies are suspected

When I was a kid, I used to feed grapes to my black Lab and best buddy, George. Grape tossing was a trick, actually. I’d get George to sit, and I’d toss him a grape, which he’d catch in his mouth. Then I’d take a step back, and toss him another grape. Until I was twenty feet away, throwing grapes across the kitchen into his snapping mouth. (My mom wasn’t a big fan.) You can imagine my shock when I got older and found out that grapes have been known to kill dogs. Was George in

The idea of owning a cute little puppy or kitten crosses just about everyone’s mind at one time or another. Those adorable faces, playful demeanors and little barks and meows can melt anyone’s heart. The bond between humans and animals is very real as pets are often referred to as family members. Unfortunately, lots of people don’t do the research to fully understand the financial and emotional commitment that comes along with adopting a pet. You may be welcoming a new pet in

Perhaps the hardest thing about vaccinations is recognizing their value, because if they are effective, then there isn’t much to see. In order to understand what we are vaccinating for, here is a quick breakdown of the vaccines for dogs. Rabies Vaccine Probably the best known disease that we vaccinate against is rabies. This is a deadly virus that is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. Any mammal can be infected with rabies, including dogs, cats, humans, and wild a

“Hack! Hack! Ah-choo!” Oh no, those dreaded sounds. Your dog is coughing, sneezing, and snot is running from his nose. He doesn’t want to play ball and he just lays in bed. Could this be kennel cough? In short, yes. “Kennel cough” is our everyday description of any upper respiratory infection in the dog, but there are many possible bacteria or viruses that can be the actual culprit. Sometimes, kennel cough is a combination of multiple different infections at the same time. Tr

What would you say to a barber that only cut one side of your hair? Or to a mechanic who washed your car but never opened the hood? Even if they worked for cheap, I’d guess that you’d be dissatisfied with either of these services. Happy with half a hair cut? Sadly, a similar situation occurs in veterinary dentistry. I frequently hear about pets getting their teeth cleaned, but never having their teeth x-rayed. “It’s cheaper,” I hear owners say. But of course it is! Because yo

Sometimes taking care of a pet with skin and ear infections feels like a merry-go-round -- but way, way less fun. You see the scratching, feel the crusty skin, or smell the stinky ears, and so you go to the vet. Then you give antibiotics for two weeks and the issue goes away. Great! Glad that’s done. But a month later, or a year down the line, it’s the same thing all over again. This frustrating cycle is all too common, but the good news is, if you also treat the underlying c