Animal Care Clinic, PLLC Harlowton, MT

07/16/2025

Peak summer heat can lead to dehydration fast. 💧

Make sure your animals have access to clean water 24/7—and consider adding electrolytes for those doing heavy work. 🙌

07/16/2025

Hydration Isn’t Optional in July 💧

Heat exhaustion is real. Watch for signs of dehydration:
❗ Dry nose or gums
❗ Lethargy
❗ Sunken eyes

Keep water bowls indoors and out, and pack a collapsible bowl for adventures.

07/14/2025

It’s not just about feeding animals—it’s about nurturing a way of life.

Here’s to the caretakers who put their animals first, day in and day out. 🐴❤️

07/14/2025

Those golden-hour walks hit different in July.

Let your pet lead the way, sniff every bush, and chase the breeze—you’re making memories with every step. ☀️

07/13/2025

Anxiety in Animals

How do you know if an animal is anxious? Are there telltale signs that you should be aware of or even look for? Should you even care or when should you care about anxiety? Animals with anxiety can trigger them to be fearful, strike out, have inappropriate behavior (urinate, defecate, be destructive, pace, vocalize, dig, try to escape, hide etc.). While some people may find this interesting, it is not always normal behavior. If the behavior persists, becomes worse over time, or especially if aggression is involved it is time to have your pet evaluated. Some anxiety is normal, but when an animal becomes highly stressed, it is time to help them better cope with the anxiety.

There are different kinds of anxiety. In dogs, the most common are loud noises, separation anxiety, guarding food, toys, territory, etc., and change in routine. Older dogs may experience cognitive dysfunction (age-related degeneration in brain function) by pacing, panting, getting up and down a lot, or being lost. Anxiety is recognized more easily in dogs since they tend to be with their owners either through recreation, working, or daily living. Cats show anxiety with dilated pupils, aggression, hiding, grooming (usually an increase), change in litter box usage, and tail twitching.

Horses and other large animals can also show signs of anxiety as well. Owing that horses tend to have more direct contact with their owners, their signs are more recognizable. Anxiety can show up as cribbing, pacing, resistance to training or handling, aggression, tail twitching, startling easily, or sweating. Other species of animals may also show signs of anxiety, so it is not just limited to animals that we are most familiar with.

Anxiety can create a lot of problems for not only the owners, but the animals. To not fully appreciate an animal displaying signs of anxiety, is potentially affecting their overall mental and physical wellbeing. These animals become highly stressed and generally don’t act appropriately to unwanted stimuli. This includes anxiety during a specific event (separation, thunder storms, fireworks, etc.) or chronic. It is similar to music blaring for long lengths of time, being afraid of small spaces, being unable to sleep for days, or loud noises being repeated over and over and not knowing when it will end. This is stressful for anyone. Repeatedly being anxious not only weakens the immune system, but other health problems may arise. In addition, bonding with humans and other animals is difficult for anxious animals and this apprehension prevents these animals from enjoying daily activities that other animals seem to love.

Helping animals that initially show signs of distress is much easier than dealing with highly stressed animals. Therefore, early intervention can decrease the time needed to correct the behavior (destructive – highly undesirable, aggressive- potentially dangerous and life threatening). If you are not sure if you should be concerned about a behavior, talk to your veterinarian.

For short term anxiety, there are medications that can help. For longer term anxiety, it may be more involved. Bloodwork and/or other diagnostics may be performed to be sure that something else is not going on. Inappropriate urination may be a bladder infection or incontinence. Cats can have an aversion to the litter or a litter box that is not daily cleaned. Litter boxes that self-clean can scare selected cats because of the noise, design, and/or litter being used. Once health problems and other environmental issues have been taken care of, then appropriate training, activities, and medication can be done. It may be trial and error to find out what works best.

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07/12/2025

Vacation? Nah. We’re on staycation. 🏖️
Show us your pet’s favorite sunny hangout spot at home — the porch, the yard, a sunbeam on the couch.
☀️ Tag us + use for a chance to be featured!

07/09/2025

In dry July weather, pasture quality can drop.

Supplement with hay or fortified feeds to make sure animals still get the protein and energy they need. 🌿

07/09/2025

Even after July 4th, fireworks can continue all month.

Help your pet stay calm with:
✔️ Calming sprays or anxiety vests
✔️ White noise or soft music
✔️ Their favorite safe space

An anxious pet just needs a little extra care.

07/07/2025

There’s something magical about the bond between a child and their cat—shared giggles, gentle paws, and quiet cuddles that say home.

Watching them grow together? That’s the real joy. ☺️

07/07/2025

Behind every strong animal is a steady hand. 💪

July is a reminder that good care, even in the heat, is what keeps the herd going. 🙌

07/02/2025

Horses working in summer heat need extra care. 🐴

Feed after exercise—not before—and watch for signs of heat stress like heavy breathing or fatigue.