Coal Creek Animal Hospital

09/23/2025

Sweater weather is here! 🍁🍂🌧🐾

08/08/2025

It's wildfire season in our beautiful state. Please check out our latest blog post with some helpful tips in how to prepare your pets for a disaster. Share with friends and family that may benefit from this information too!

At Coal Creek Animal Hospital, we know your pets are family, which is why they need to be a part of our emergency planning as well.

07/03/2025

We know the 4th of July is not always a favorite holiday for pets. When your pet feels anxious, simple steps can make a big difference! Try moving them to an interior room without windows and playing calming, soft music. This provides a safe, peaceful retreat from any external stressors. To keep them occupied, offer an enrichment toy like a Kong or a favorite chew. A snug-fitting anxiety vest or even a t-shirt can also provide a sense of security.

If we have determined that an anti-anxiety medication is the best option for your pet, remember a few important guidelines. It's crucial to administer a practice dose before the stressful event to observe how your pet responds. Also, never share their medication with another animal or give more than the prescribed amount, and always supervise your pet closely after they've taken it.

We hope everyone has a safe holiday!

04/22/2025

Happy Earth Day!

Want to lessen your pet's environmental pawprint? Recycling is a fantastic step! Consider the sheer amount of packaging for pet food, treats, and toys – buying in bulk or opting for recyclable packaging can significantly help you make greener choices for your furry friend.

If your pet enjoys canned food and your community offers recycling, simply rinse and dry the cans before tossing them in. Additionally, some pet food brands are now using recyclable or compostable bags. While bags with plastic liners can't be recycled, they can often be repurposed for yard waste. Always take a moment to check the disposal instructions on the packaging and make eco-conscious disposal a routine – it's a simple way to further protect both pets and wildlife.

04/21/2025

🐾 Protect Your Pet: The Importance of Tick Prevention 🐾

While the warm weather has been incredibly nice, if you’ve spent any time outdoors lately– or even scrolled on the local community pages– you’ve likely seen the warnings: Boulder County has seen a large upTICK in tick activity this year. At Coal Creek Animal Hospital, we’re here to keep your furry family members safe and protected against the risks that ticks pose, because in many cases it only takes one tick to cause serious illness.

🌳Tick Season is All-Year in Colorado 🍂 ☀️
Most people associate ticks with warmer weather, however, ticks can survive freezing temperatures and may become active even at 40℉. This means that ticks are a threat to our pets all year round, especially in Colorado’s ever-changing and unpredictable weather.

🕷️
Tick-Borne Diseases 🦠

Ticks are more than just annoying and gross. They can carry dangerous diseases which can affect both dogs and cats (and even you)! Ticks are not only found in the woods, but are in fact very common in neighborhoods and on walking trails. Some of the most common diseases include:

● Lyme Disease. Lyme is transmitted by infected deer ticks. If left untreated, Lyme in dogs can cause swelling of joints, kidney failure, neurological issues, and potentially life threatening complications.
● Anaplasmosis. Anaplasmosis is transmitted by an infected deer tick or brown dog tick. The bacteria causes fever, joint pain, and lethargy in pets.
● Ehrlichiosis. This tick-borne bacterial disease is transmitted through infected lone star ticks and black-legged ticks. This disease affects the body’s white blood cells, leading to fever, weight loss, and organ failure.

🚫 Tick-Off, Ticks! Prevention is Easy and Effective 🐶🐱

While the thought of tick-borne disease may make you feel uneasy as a pet owner, the good news is that tick prevention is highly effective. Veterinary
recommended flea and tick preventatives are FDA approved and 98-99% effective.
We get it, hearing “insecticide”, it’s natural to feel hesitant, especially when it comes to our loved ones. But here is the reassuring truth: the active ingredients in veterinary prescribed flea and tick products are designed to target the specific receptors found in only fleas and ticks. This means they are highly selective ingredients- targeting only the parasites, not your pet. When used as directed and at the correct dosage depending on your pet’s weight, these products are safe for dogs and cats. Regulation and testing of these products by the FDA and EPA ensure safety for long term use in your pets.

There are options for prevention, depending on your pet’s lifestyle:

● Topicals: These types of prevention are applied to the skin of your pet, typically along their neck or between the shoulder blades. While a great option for some pets, this type is not ideal for pets who swim or are bathed often.
● Chewables: Oral products are easy to give your pet, and are very palatable. Oftentimes, these products are combined with heartworm prevention for added convenience.

Each type of prevention will have different dosage and instructions. Depending on the type or brand, they may need to be repeated every month or every few months.

If you have questions about prevention options, contact us! If your pet has recently had a tick- it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment for tick-borne disease testing. We can also help ensure all of the tick was removed.

For Colorado tick surveillance data, please visit: https://capcvet.org/maps/ #/2025/all-year/lyme-disease/dog/united-states/colorado

04/19/2025

Gilligan, you had us at MEOW! 😻

04/18/2025

The age at which to spay and neuter pets has been changing with emerging research. We like to tailor our recommendation based on your pet's breed, health considerations, and behavior. If you have questions about when you should spay or neuter your pet give us a call! Dr. Ashley is waiting for the optimum timing for her Golden Retriever puppy, Lottie, to be spayed. She is currently in heat and parading around CCAH in her purple diaper! :)🤣

04/10/2025

Happy Siblings Day from these 2 sweet sisters, Echo and Riley!

04/09/2025

Izzy is working her magic on us with that sweet face! 😍

04/08/2025

Boomer you impressed us with your good behavior and cute face! Welcome to the CCAH family!

04/07/2025

The CCAH team celebrated Spring this past weekend with 2 fun springy activities: goat yoga and a picnic! 🐐🧘‍♀️🥪 How are you celebrating the season?

03/07/2025

DONUT forget to give your pet some kisses when you get home from work! :) Happy Friday! 🐾🥰