Grand Rapids Veterinary Clinic

11/20/2025

Thanksgiving is 1 week away. A time for gathering with friends and family. However, this holiday can pose some risks for your pet if you're not careful. Here are some tips to keep your furry friend safe on Turkey Day.

Keep the feast on the table. Turkey or turkey skin, even in small amounts, can cause a life-threatening condition called pancreatitis. Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest which can cause GI issues. Your pets should also stay away from onions, raisins, and grapes.

No pie or other desserts!

Keep the trash out of reach of your pets. A turkey carcass sitting on the carving table or in an easily accessible trash container could be deadly to your pet.

Visitors can upset your pets. If your pet is nervous when people visit your home, put them in their own room with their favorite toy to reduce emotional stress.

Lets be thankful for healthy pets this holiday season! 🦃🐾

11/15/2025

November is National Senior Pet Month!
As your pet ages, their veterinary care needs change. Senior pets are more likely to experience health issues that require early detection, regular monitoring, and ongoing management or treatment.
Some basic factors to consider when caring for senior pets include more frequent check ups, dental health, diet and nutrition, weight control, maintaining mobility, mental health and environmental changes.
With early detection of health issues, we can help our furry friends live their final life stage to the fullest.
Let's celebrate those gray-muzzled companions in the comments below!

11/12/2025

Today, we celebrate the importance of mental and physical enrichment for animals everywhere! Providing enrichment—like interactive toys, puzzle feeders, or even a little extra playtime—can help pets stay sharp, reduce stress, and lead happier lives.

11/11/2025

Thank you for your service!

11/07/2025

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month and today is National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day. 1 in every 4 dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime. For cats, the risk of cancer varies between 25-35%. The most common type of cancer in both dogs and cats is lymphoma.

Common warning signs of cancer include palpable lumps/bumps, sores that do not heal, weight loss, bleeding or abnormal discharge from body opening, difficulty eating or swallowing, lethargy, persistent lameness or stiffness, and difficulty urinating or defecating.

Treatment of cancer in pets varies on the type, stage, and special considerations for the pet. It's not uncommon to use multiple treatments in pets such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Providing a healthy lifestyle, including a nutritionally balanced diet and preventative care, can help in early detection of cancer in your furry friend. Also, pet owners should examine their pets for any lumps or bumps on a regular basis. We're pretty sure Fido won't mind the extra love. 🐾🐾

11/05/2025

November marks National Pet Diabetes Month. Diabetes affects 1 in 300 dogs and 1 in 230 cats in the United States.

Signs of diabetes include excessive thirst and urination, weight loss, decreased appetite, cloudy eyes (particularly in dogs), and chronic/reoccurring infections.

A diagnosis is usually made with a urine sample and blood testing. Once a diagnosis is made, the lifelong treatment is insulin, glucose monitoring, attention to diet and exercise, and regular veterinary checkups.

Diabetes is a lifelong condition, however early detection and proper management allow pets to live a long healthy life.

To reduce your pets risk of diabetes, you should encourage exercise, help maintain an ideal body condition, and provide proper nutrition. With your help, your fur babies can live a longer and happier life. 🐾🐾

11/02/2025

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween! Whether your plans are a scary movie marathon with your cat or trick-or-treating with your pooch, we want to wish you a safe and happy Halloween! Now, let’s see those HOWLoween pups and MEOWloween felines! 🎃👻

10/29/2025

How are you and your feisty felines celebrating? 🥳🐾

10/25/2025

Halloween is upon us! While trick-or-treating can be fun, there are some pet hazards that can come with this spooky holiday! Beware! 👻🎃

10/20/2025

The end of summer marks the time of year when we replace swim suits and sunscreen with jackets and boots. As we prepare for the cooler temperatures, it's important to keep in mind the fall toxins that are less common in the dog days of summer.

Cooler temperatures and the upcoming holiday season means a lot more baking for some of us. While the occasional chocolate chip shared with your furry friends may not be a big issue, the concern for chocolate poisoning is due to the type of chocolate (the darker, the more risk) and the amount ingested.

Other table scraps that may be an issue this holiday season include fatty foods (bacon, gravy, turkey skin), corn-on-the-cob, desserts made with xylitol (natural sugar-free sweetener), and grapes/raisins. When in doubt, an extra biscuit will work for Fido!

When you're outside enjoying the fall weather, it's also important to remember that some kinds of mushrooms can cause issues if ingested and please keep your pets away from compost bins/piles and fire pits!

Unwanted critters may find their way into your house as the cooler temperatures creep in. Some rodenticides can be fatal if ingested by your pet. We encourage people not to use poisonous rodenticides as newer products do not have treatment options for our pets if they accidentally ingest them. Additionally, the rodenticides can be moved around by critters to areas accessible by pets and any small mammals that do die after rodenticide ingestion are now toxic to scavengers, including pets and wildlife. If you must use poisonous rodenticides, place them where pets and other animals can't reach them. There are 4 common categories of baits on the market and they all have different modes of action, so keep the wrapper/box if you are placing baits around your house. If you suspect your pet has ingested rodenticide, time is of the essence!

Fall is great for bonding with your furry friends. Just keep in mind some of the dangers that can be lurking during this autumn season!