The Pet Care Clinic

07/26/2025

Meet Addison! One of the most sweetest & beautiful Norwegian Elkhounds we have ever met. She loves scritches & loves to be pampered. Such a sweet girl!!

07/26/2025

Aimaia came in for puppy vaccines today. She gave us lots of puppy kisses...love that puppy breath!!!

07/23/2025

We love you, Trumpy!

07/23/2025

Meet Trumpy! He's a little shy but extremely lovable! He loves cookies!

07/13/2025

07/13/2025

In the veterinary field we hear “my puppy was dewormed by the breeder already, why do we have to deworm him again?”
Internal parasites are very easily spread, they can pass from one species to another, and are zoonotic; meaning your dog can pass them on to you!
As puppies, we assume that they contract intestinal parasites from their mother. Transmission can occur in utero, or from puppies nursing. As puppies get older and explore the world, they do so with their mouths. There are lots of different routes for your puppy to contract worms, most commonly it happens with the ingestion of parasite eggs or spores, ingestions of certain bugs, or in contaminated soil, water, f***s or food.
As young puppies. their immune system is growing and can’t always fight off parasites. As they get older, they still have something in their mouths. Sometimes it’s something we wish they wouldn’t. It’s easy for a dog to pick up parasites by going to the dog park, attending a playgroup or doggy daycare, or simply going for a walk around the neighborhood.
Intestinal parasites can be serious to your puppy’s well-being and can cause numerous health issues and even disease. They can cause malnutrition. Most often owners will say that their puppy is starving all the time, but never gaining weight. Weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and anemia (lack of healthy red blood cells in the pet’s body) are all symptoms. Besides making our pets sick, many of these parasites can affect people. Some parasites can cause more servere health issues than others, one being damage to the eyes, and untreated can lead to vision loss, especially in children.
Some internal parasites are harder to detect than others. Not all worms are found in f***s, and it can be hard to know if your puppy may have contracted worms. Some signs are:
• Scooting
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• A distended abdomen (“pot-belly” look)
• Increased appetite
• Weight loss
• Occasionally coughing
Some puppies infected with intestinal parasites can exhibit no signs or very subtle symptoms that can be easily overlooked.
Luckily for us, intestinal parasites are treatable, and even easier to prevent. Many puppy owners are already protecting their pets and family from intestinal parasites and don’t even know about it. A lot of flea and tick medication and most deworming medications cover many different species of internal parasites. If your dog is not already on monthly parasite preventatives, you might want to consider it. It’s the best way to protect your pets and family from intestinal parasites. Also, before you bring a new pet into the household, it’s important to have them checked by a veterinarian so that they do not expose your other pets or family to parasites. Although intestinal parasites are treatable, the best way to protect your puppies against internal parasites is to keep them on parasite preventatives.

07/13/2025

The world of canine vaccines is divided into two categories: core and noncore. Core vaccines are recommended for all dogs and include canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies. Recommendations for noncore vaccines, on the other hand, are based on a dog's exposure risk and typically consider their lifestyle and geographic location.
The canine leptospirosis (lepto) vaccine belongs to the latter category and is an important consideration for every dog owner. That's because in addition to having serious consequences in dogs, leptospirosis is zoonotic, meaning it can spread from pets to their people. In fact, it's one of the most common zoonotic diseases in the world.
"Noncore" is not synonymous with "not important," so don't immediately dismiss the lepto vaccine based on its categorization. The disease can cause kidney failure, liver failure, severe lung disease, and bleeding disorders and can be fatal.
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by an infection with Leptospira bacteria. Leptospira has multiple serovars, or forms, that dictate where it can be found and which species carry it. Rodent urine, bodies of water, livestock, wildlife, and even dirt can be contaminated with Leptospira bacteria. Warm, moist climates are also over-represented when looking at areas of high infection rates.
Leptospirosis can be transmitted to dogs when their mucous membranes (e.g. nose, mouth) or skin openings (e.g. cuts, wounds) come into contact with infected urine, soil, or water. They can also contract the disease by eating or being bitten by an infected animal.
Your dog's lifestyle is an important consideration when determining whether your dog should receive the leptospirosis vaccine. Your dog is at a greater risk of disease if they:
• Live on a farm or in an area with exposure to wildlife
• Hunt small mammals
• Hike or swim regularly
• Go on camping trips
However, even small breed dogs who mostly live indoors or in urban environments may run the risk of exposure.
Dogs can be exposed in their own backyards by drinking from a contaminated puddle or by encountering an infected rodent or other wildlife.
Still, there are some cases in which we wouldn't necessarily recommend the vaccine. These include dogs with little to no risk of exposure and dogs with a history of vaccine reactions or some autoimmune diseases.
Your dog's veterinarian, who knows your pet's specific health history and lifestyle, is in the best position to help you decide if your dog is a good candidate for the lepto vaccine.
The leptospirosis vaccine isn't 100 percent effective at protecting dogs from disease. The current vaccines on the market typically target the four most common Leptospira serovars. This means that there can be breakthrough infections, especially if a dog is exposed to a serovar not covered by the vaccine.
Vaccine technology has significantly improved over the last decade and that allergic reactions are far less likely than before. However, vaccine reactions and allergic reactions can happen with any pet receiving any vaccine. Allergic reactions typically involve gastrointestinal symptoms or facial swelling but can be more severe. If you see signs of an allergic reaction in your dog following vaccination, immediately contact your veterinarian.
It's not uncommon for animals to experience side effects like soreness, mild inflammation or swelling at the injection site, along with slight lethargy.
These symptoms aren't specific to this vaccine and are usually not present for more than 24 to 48 hours.
As unpleasant as these symptoms may sound, the majority of vaccine side effects are mild when compared with the potential effects of leptospirosis on pets and their owners.
All dogs need two initial doses of the lepto vaccine. According to guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Association, the second dose should be administered 2 to 4 weeks after the first dose, which can be given as early as 8 or 9 weeks of age. If the dog remains at risk of exposure, they should receive a single dose one year after completing the initial two-dose series and then annually thereafter.

07/13/2025

Cats are commonly shown lapping milk from saucers. But can they safely drink milk?
Giving milk to adult cats might actually do more harm than good to them.
Cats often lose their tolerance for lactose, the sugar found in milk, when they get older, just as most humans do.
For most cats, the ability to digest lactose declines after weaning. As a result, milk can cause digestive issues in cats and lead to symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting."
Some cats may keep the ability to digest lactose into adulthood, just as some people do. Still, there are no additional nutritional benefits to giving your cat cow's milk if they are fed a high-quality complete and balanced cat food.
In addition, cow's milk is full of fat. A saucer of milk for a cat is like you eating an entire 12-inch pizza. As such, cow's milk can lead a cat to become overweight.
Moreover, cow's milk contains high levels of phosphate. This means it is best for cats to avoid it if they have been diagnosed with kidney disease. Phosphorus can impair kidney health in cats with chronic kidney disease.
Cats may still crave milk despite the problems it causes because they may connect it with positive memories from their time as kittens. They may also simply like the taste of the fat in it.
Kittens do normally drink their mother's milk until they are fully weaned, at a few months old. Kittens that require hand-rearing, in situations such as illness or the loss of their mothers should be fed a carefully formulated kitten milk replacer that meets their nutritional requirements.
Other types of milk, such as cow's or goat's milk, are not suitable replacements for cat milk, as they don't contain enough protein or fat to meet a kitten's needs for growth and development. We recommend high-quality kitten milk replacers that are safe and correctly formulated for kittens.
Weaning onto solid foods should begin at three to four weeks of age and should take place gradually until the kittens are able to accept a complete diet of solid food.
Special milks for cats are sometimes marketed in supermarkets and pet stores. Instead of purchasing milk products for cats, which offer no additional nutritional value, we would recommend that owners focus on making sure their cats have access to plenty of fresh clean water every day.

07/13/2025

Meet Finley! He is a beautiful Corgi mix (possibly mixed with Aussie). He is such a friendly, sweet & happy boy!!

07/11/2025

No french fries for dogs! Feeding fries to dogs is generally not recommended. Fries are high in salt, unhealthy fats, and often contain additives that can be harmful to dogs. Consuming too much salt can lead to sodium ion poisoning, while the high-fat content can contribute to obesity and other health issues. It's best to stick to a balanced diet formulated specifically for dogs to ensure their nutritional needs are met.