Lockport Animal Hospital, PC / Dr. Joseph A. Caffarini

08/13/2025

August is National Immunization Awareness Month.




Vaccines help teach your pet’s immune system how to recognize and fight off certain disease-causing agents. Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system's production of antibodies that identify and destroy these agents—before they can cause disease. This helps prevent or lessen the severity of future disease.

Why is it important to have my pet vaccinated?
Vaccinations protect your pet from highly contagious and/or deadly diseases and improve your pet's overall quality of life. Experts agree that widespread use of vaccinations within the last century has prevented death and disease in millions of animals.

Vaccination prevents many pet illnesses.
Vaccination can help avoid costly treatments for preventable diseases.
Vaccination prevents diseases that can be passed between animals and from animals to people.
Unvaccinated pets are at risk from life-threatening diseases found in wildlife, such as rabies and distemper.
Reputable pet boarding, daycare, and training services require vaccination against certain diseases to protect all participating animals.
Many local and state laws require that household pets—including indoor-only pets—be vaccinated against certain diseases.

Vaccines help teach your pet’s immune system how to recognize and fight off disease-causing agents. They protect your pet against diseases and improve your pet's overall quality of life.

08/05/2025

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1378338916991276&set=a.516777593147417

This week is International Assistance Dog Week and we would like to honor assistance dogs, those who raise and train them, and the veterinary teams who keep them healthy. Assistance dogs provide more than companionship; they provide freedom and confidence to the people they help.

07/28/2025

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials continue to sound the alarm that New World screwworm (NWS), a parasite largely eradicated from the United States nearly six decades ago, threatens to cross the Mexican-U.S. border unless stringent surveillance and control measures hold.
On Saturday, Dr. Brianna Schur, deputy administrator for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services, provided an overview of the parasite’s biology, its spread in Central America and Mexico, and the federal government’s response. Dr. Schur’s presentation took place at , held in conjunction with the 40th World Veterinary Association Congress, in Washington, D.C.

https://www.avma.org/events/avma-convention/convention-daily-news-2025/all-hands-deck-screwworms-near-us-border?fbclid=IwY2xjawL0RyVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkoM_qWAZ5Z_by5yB4oVbJBmAFHSJnnHNoz28JFcRLK4tDZsRWZZS0ArMKLl_aem_mhtf1HiVMJSdgFMNPayudQ

As New World screwworm creeps closer to the U.S. border, government officials are calling on veterinarians to remain vigilant against the flesh-eating parasite, familiarizing themselves about the signs of infestation.

07/23/2025

07/23/2025

Think Twice Before Spraying Your Lawn ⛔️🛑
Those chemicals don’t just kill weeds , they seep into soil, poison pollinators, harm birds, and disrupt entire wildlife food chains. A lush lawn shouldn’t come at nature’s expense.

07/22/2025

After the Texas floods, a heartwarming story emerged about a dog that stayed devoted to its missing family. Despite the chaos and destruction all around, the dog waited patiently in their neighborhood, hoping they would return. The floodwaters had swept through, causing many families to leave their homes, but this brave dog refused to leave. It was clear that he loved his family deeply and was determined to be there for them, no matter what.

As days went by, the dog became a symbol of loyalty and love in the community. People passing by noticed the dog sitting in the same spot, looking for its family. Many were touched by its dedication and stopped to offer food and water. Some even shared the dog's story on social media, hoping to find the family and reunite them. The bond between the dog and its family was so strong that it seemed to inspire everyone around.

Eventually, news of the loyal dog reached the family. They were overwhelmed with emotion knowing their dog had been waiting for them. When they were finally reunited, it was a joyful moment filled with tears and wagging tails. This story reminds us of the unbreakable bond between pets and their families, showing how love can endure even the toughest challenges.

07/21/2025

"Behavior changes in your cat are the primary indicator of pain. As the person who knows your cat best, you are an important member of their healthcare team and key in helping to detect the signs of pain as soon as possible. The signs of pain may be subtle because cats hide signs of discomfort and illness which could make them appear vulnerable to their enemies. This trait comes from their wild ancestors who needed to avoid becoming another animal’s prey. This can make it difficult to recognize if your cat is sick or in pain. Veterinary professionals have been trained to evaluate these subtle behaviors and physical health changes."

https://catfriendly.com/keep-your-cat-healthy/know-cat-pain/

07/20/2025

They eat ticks!!
The normal range for nine-banded armadillos does not extend as far north as Will County and northern Illinois, but their range may be slowly expanding in our direction. A few hundred armadillo sightings have been verified in Illinois since the 1990s, and the animals are known to breed in Illinois, according to Wildlife Illinois(Opens in a new window). Most of the verified sightings have been in southern Illinois, where they are established, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is investigating whether they are expanding their range northward in the state. As part of its research, the IDNR is asking the public to report any sightings(Opens in a new window) of armadillos from what is essentially north of Sangamon County, which is where Springfield is located.

Armadillos aren't normally seen in the northern part of Illinois and, when they are, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources wants to know about it. Same for black bears, cougars and gray wolves.

07/20/2025

Very informative.

Walk a Mile In Your Dog’s Feet!

Although our purebred dogs have several accepted foot shapes written into their breed standards, a flat foot isn’t accepted in any of them. Why? Because a flat foot is prone to break down under all conditions, especially if you run or jog with your dog, he or she runs agility, or participates in other high impact sports such as catching a frisbee. Look folks, this stuff isn’t just for show dogs.

Your dog’s digital and metacarpal pads are shock absorbers and work to protect the bones and joints in their foot. Their carpal pads work like brakes and help your dog deal with slick or steep slopes. Because dogs are digitigrade animals, they carry the majority of their weight in their toes (as opposed to their heels).

Certain breeds, like the St. Bernard and Newfoundland, have wide, sprawling paws to give them a better grip on snow and ice, and some breeds, like Akitas, Dobermans, Airedale Terriers, Bull Terriers, Keeshonden, Finnish Spitz, and Greyhounds, have “cat feet,” feet that have a short third digital bone resulting in a higher arches and a compact feline-like foot. Feet like this gives a dog greater endurance because their paws are so light. Other breeds, such as the Samoyed, Bedlington Terrier, Skye Terrier, and Borzoi have “hare feet,” that are more elongated because the two middle toes are longer than the outer toes.

Most all dog paws have pads made of a thick layer of fatty tissue that helps protect interior tissues from extreme temperatures while conducting cold poorly. As the paw gets cold when it hits the ground, arteries transfer chilled blood back to the body where it warms up again. That said, your dog’s feet will burn and blister on hot asphalt or the bed of a pick up truck (so don’t that person), and they can freeze or get frostbite. Those thick pads also help a dog walk on rough terrain – to a point. Dog boots aren’t a goofy thing to put on a dog, and if they’re good enough for Search and Rescue dogs, they’re good enough for your dog.

Image by Amos T Fairchild and shared under the GNU Free Documentation License and Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license at Wikicommons