Blue Ridge Pet Clinic

10/26/2026

A New Way to Help Pets Get the Care They Need!

At Blue Ridge Pet Clinic, we understand that unexpected veterinary expenses can be overwhelming. We believe every pet deserves a chance to receive the care they need, and we're always looking for ways to help make that possible.

That's why we're excited to share another resource available through our partnership with My Balto!

Introducing Go Fund My Pet!

Go Fund My Pet gives pet owners the opportunity to create a personalized fundraising campaign to help cover veterinary expenses. Friends, family, and members of the community can contribute toward a pet's veterinary care.

How does it work?

A pet owner creates a fundraising campaign for their pet's veterinary needs.

The campaign can be shared with friends, family, and the community.

Supporters can contribute to help cover the cost of veterinary treatment.

Funds raised are applied toward the pet's veterinary care. We're sharing our very first Go Fund My Pet campaign!
One of our clients has taken advantage of this wonderful resource, and we're excited to help spread the word!

Whether you're looking for a way to help your own pet or simply want to support another pet in need, Go Fund My Pet is another option worth knowing about.

You never know when a little help from a caring community can make a big difference! Check out the campaign we're sharing below, and feel free to share it to help spread the word!

I made a terrible mistake that might cost Molly her life. For the first time ever, I left my vitamins on the counter, and in the few minutes I was in the bat…

10/22/2026

JUST HOW GOOD IS YOUR DOG'S NOSE?

You've probably watched your dog spend five minutes intensely investigating one tiny patch of grass and thought:

“WHAT could possibly be that interesting?!”

The answer?

Probably a lot more than we realize!

A dog's world is heavily influenced by scent. Their noses contain hundreds of millions of scent receptors in some breeds, compared with only several million in humans.

But here's where it gets really cool.

Dogs don't just smell more than we do their brains are also highly specialized for processing scent information.

That's one reason dogs have been trained to help humans:

Find missing people
Detect certain explosives and drugs
Track wildlife
Locate specific scents over long distances
Perform specialized medical scent-detection work

And when your dog stops to sniff another dog's favorite tree?

They're gathering information too.

To us, it's a tree.

To your dog, it might be the neighborhood page. 😂

WHO WAS HERE?
HOW LONG AGO?
WHO'S NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

That's also why letting your dog stop and sniff during walks can be valuable enrichment. A walk doesn't always have to be about covering as much distance as possible.

Sometimes it's okay to let them stop and smell EVERYTHING.

Is your dog a serious sniffer or do they have places to go and people to see?

📍 Blue Ridge Pet Clinic | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ

10/19/2026

YOUR DOG STARTED COUGHING SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED?

One cough might not seem like a big deal.

But when a dog develops a persistent cough, especially after being around other dogs, it's worth paying attention.

Dogs can develop respiratory illnesses that spread anywhere dogs gather, including:

Boarding facilities
Groomers
Dog parks
Daycare
Training classes
Shelters and rescues
Veterinary waiting areas

You may hear people refer to some of these illnesses collectively as “kennel cough,” but coughing can have many different causes.

Signs of respiratory illness can include:

🔹 A dry, hacking or “honking” cough
🔹 Gagging or retching after coughing
🔹 Sneezing
🔹 Nasal discharge
🔹 Eye discharge
🔹 Decreased appetite
🔹 Lethargy
🔹 Fever

Some dogs remain bright, active and hungry despite coughing. Others can become significantly ill.

WHEN SHOULD YOU BE MORE CONCERNED?

Contact your veterinarian if your dog is coughing frequently, the cough is worsening, your dog isn't eating normally, seems unusually tired, or has other signs of illness.

Difficulty breathing, blue/gray gums, collapse or severe respiratory distress should be treated as an emergency.
HELP US PROTECT OTHER PATIENTS

If your dog is coughing and needs to come to the clinic, please call us before bringing them into the lobby.

We may give you special instructions for entering the clinic or have you wait with your pet away from other patients. This helps reduce the chance of exposing other dogs.

And remember coughing isn't always an infection. Heart disease, airway problems and other medical conditions can also cause coughing, which is why persistent symptoms deserve veterinary attention.

Blue Ridge Pet Clinic
Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona

10/15/2026

IT'S 2:00 A.M… AND YOUR CAT HAS DECIDED TO QUALIFY FOR NASCAR.

Down the hallway.

Onto the couch.

Off the couch.

Around the kitchen.

Across your bed.

And then suddenly…

They're sitting completely still like nothing happened.

Welcome to the CAT ZOOMIES!

The technical term often used for these sudden bursts of energy is FRAPs — Frenetic Random Activity Periods.

And they're usually completely normal!

Cats are natural hunters. Their bodies are built for short, intense bursts of activity followed by plenty of rest.

Indoor cats don't necessarily get to stalk and chase prey, so all that stored-up energy has to go somewhere.

Apparently, your hallway at 2:00 A.M. will do. 😂

WHY AT NIGHT?

Cats tend to be especially active around dawn and dusk, which comes from the natural activity patterns of their wild ancestors and prey.

You may also notice zoomies:

After using the litter box
After waking from a long nap
During playtime
When they're excited
For seemingly absolutely no reason whatsoever

Regular interactive play can give your cat an appropriate outlet for some of that energy.

Wand toys, balls, climbing structures and short play sessions that mimic stalking and chasing can all help keep indoor cats mentally and physically active.

Now we need to know:

What is the weirdest thing YOUR cat does during the zoomies?

Blue Ridge Pet Clinic | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ

10/12/2026

MICE ARE MOVING IN FOR THE WINTER BUT BE CAREFUL HOW YOU GET RID OF THEM!

When temperatures start dropping in the White Mountains, mice and other rodents begin looking for warm places to spend the winter. Unfortunately, that often means our homes, garages, sheds and barns.

This is also the time of year when more people begin putting out rodent poison and those products can pose a serious risk to dogs and cats.

NOT ALL RAT AND MOUSE POISONS ARE THE SAME.

Depending on the active ingredient, rodenticides can cause very different medical emergencies.

Some products can interfere with the body's ability to clot blood, potentially causing internal bleeding.

Others can affect the nervous system and cause:

🐾 Weakness
🐾 Tremors
🐾 Difficulty walking
🐾 Seizures

Still others can cause dangerous changes inside the body that may result in severe illness or organ damage.

One of the most important things you can do if your pet gets into rodent poison is BRING THE PACKAGE WITH YOU.

The color or shape of the bait isn't enough to reliably determine what type of poison it contains. Knowing the exact active ingredient can make a major difference in determining appropriate treatment.

DON'T WAIT FOR YOUR PET TO LOOK SICK.

Some rodenticide poisonings may not cause obvious symptoms immediately.

If you know or suspect your pet ate rodent poison, contact a veterinarian or animal poison-control resource promptly.

To help prevent accidental exposure:

✅ Keep bait completely inaccessible to pets
✅ Check garages, sheds and barns for old bait
✅ Remember that dogs can chew into bait stations
✅ Keep the original packaging
✅ Make sure everyone in the household knows where poison has been placed

And remember: “Pet resistant” doesn't necessarily mean “pet proof.”

Blue Ridge Pet Clinic
Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona

10/07/2026

WHY DOES MY DOG KICK THE GROUND AFTER POOPING?!

You know the move…

Your dog finishes their business, takes two steps forward, and suddenly starts launching dirt, grass, pine needles and possibly half your yard behind them. But have you ever wondered WHY they do it?

Believe it or not, your dog probably isn't trying to clean up after themselves. They're actually doing something much more interesting:

They're leaving a message!

Dogs have scent glands in their paws. When they scratch and kick the ground, they're helping leave their scent behind.

Think of it as your dog's version of posting
“I WAS HERE.”

The scratching also leaves a visible mark on the ground, so other dogs may get both a scent AND visual signal.

And here's another fun fact:

Dogs have an incredible sense of smell compared with ours, so a quick sniff of an area can give them information that we're completely unaware of.

So the next time your dog finishes pooping and starts tearing up the yard like they're trying to dig to China…

They aren't necessarily being weird.

They're checking in on the neighborhood message board.

Does your dog do the post-poop kick?

Bonus points if you've ever been standing directly behind them when the dirt started flying.

📍 Blue Ridge Pet Clinic | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ

10/05/2026

ANTIFREEZE CAN BE DEADLY AND IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH

As temperatures begin dropping here in the White Mountains, vehicles are getting ready for colder weather. That also means we start thinking about a seasonal danger that every pet owner should know about: antifreeze poisoning.

Antifreeze containing ethylene glycol can be extremely toxic to dogs and cats. Even a relatively small exposure can cause severe kidney damage and can be fatal.

HOW ARE PETS EXPOSED?

A leaking vehicle, spilled antifreeze in the garage or driveway, or an improperly stored container can leave enough liquid accessible for a curious pet.

Early signs of poisoning can include:

🐾 Vomiting
🐾 Acting “drunk,” weak, or uncoordinated
🐾 Excessive thirst or urination
🐾 Lethargy
🐾 Drooling
🐾 Rapid breathing
🐾 Seizures in severe cases

One of the dangerous things about antifreeze poisoning is that a pet may initially appear sick and then seem to improve. Unfortunately, serious internal damage may still be occurring.

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.

If you know or suspect that your pet has consumed antifreeze, don't wait for symptoms to develop. Veterinary treatment is most effective when started as quickly as possible.

As we head into colder weather:

✅ Check vehicles for leaks
✅ Clean spills immediately
✅ Keep automotive fluids securely stored
✅ Don't allow pets to drink from puddles around vehicles
✅ Consider pet-safer antifreeze products when appropriate

A few minutes of prevention can save a life.

Blue Ridge Pet Clinic
Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona

09/30/2026

GOODBYE, SEPTEMBER!

We can't believe another month has already flown by!

Before we head into October, we want to end September with something fun.

Show us your favorite picture of your pet from this month!

Maybe they went on an adventure.

Maybe they discovered a new favorite toy.

Maybe they slept for 23 hours a day and accomplished absolutely nothing.

Whatever September looked like for your pet, we want to see it!

Thank you for continuing to trust the team at Blue Ridge Pet Clinic with the animals you love.

Now let's fill these comments with pets!

09/29/2026

When is a pet considered a senior?

It may be sooner than you think!

As our pets get older, subtle changes can sometimes be mistaken for simply "getting old."

Things like:

🐾 Drinking or urinating more
🐾 Losing or gaining weight
🐾 Difficulty getting up
🐾 Changes in appetite
🐾 New lumps or bumps
🐾 Changes in behavior
🐾 Bad breath or difficulty chewing
..can sometimes tell us that something else is going on.

Regular veterinary exams become especially important as pets enter their senior years because catching changes early can give us more options to help keep them comfortable and healthy.

Growing older is inevitable.

Growing older well is the goal.

09/27/2026

SUNDAY PET ROLL CALL!

We haven't seen enough cute animals today.

Help us fix that.

Drop the most recent picture you have of your pet in the comments NO CHEATING and taking a new one!

Dogs, cats, horses, goats, chickens, reptiles... we want to see them all.

Let's see how many pets we can get in one comment section!