Shedding the Winter Coat

At this time of year, you may notice your pet shedding profusely. Spring and warm weather is on the way and your pet is slowly but surely releasing their winter coat. This can be an irritating time for you as it will feel like you can’t clean the hair up fast enough, but please remember it can also be a bit irritating for your pet too! 

The loss of your pet’s winter coat can cause them to scratch a lot as their hair comes out sometimes in chunks. To help ease the process and make them feel better (and look better!) we recommend brushing them daily to loosen the hairs.

 

Please remember that seeing bald patches is NOT normal and could be a sign of a more serious condition. If you notice this or any rashes or skin irritation, please schedule a visit with us right away. 

Valentine’s Day Safety

Valentine’s Day is a sweet holiday designed for telling the people you care about how much you love them! Sometimes your special Valentine’s Day treats may include chocolate candy or other sweets. These treats are extremely dangerous for our pets to consume, so it’s important to always keep them out of their reach. 

Chocolate especially, but also sugar free candy which contains a substance called xylitol, can be absolutely lethal for dogs and cats. If your pet consumes candy, sugar free candy, or chocolate, please contact us immediately so we can help you through the situation.

Sidewalk Salt and Ice Melt

As pet owners, it’s important for us to be aware of the many new safety concerns that appear in the wintertime. Sidewalk salt and ice melt are often used during the winter months and can be tracked from the streets and sidewalks to inside the house. 

Because these products are actually toxic for pets if consumed, it is important to always make sure your house is safe and salt-free. We recommend gently washing your pet’s feet with warm water and mild soap when they come inside to keep dangerous chemicals from being tracked through the house. 

We also recommend keeping your pet from licking the salt off their feet. If you’re concerned about keeping your pet safe, many home supply or hardware stores now carry pet-safe ice melt products, but remember that city trucks that sprinkle salt on the streets are always using the poisonous kind.

Christmas Pet Safety

“My pet would never eat food off the table!”

“My pet would never knock over the Christmas tree!”

“My pet would never bite someone!”

We all know our pets pretty well, but what we don’t always realize is that stress can make anybody do crazy things! When you have holiday guests or flashing Christmas lights or loud holiday music—or all of the above—at your house all at once, your pet may get stressed and frustrated, causing them to act out in unexpected ways. Most pet accidents are met with the statement, “He’s never done anything like that before!”

We recommend always making sure that your pet has a safe place to sit and relax during your holidays parties. Just like some people, pets need to get away from the action and de-stress, but most of the time they don’t know how to ask for their space. If your pet is comfortable in their crate, we recommend moving it into a quiet room and letting them spend some time resting during your holiday get-togethers. Your pet will be happier, and by extension, you and your guests will be happier! And holidays disasters will be prevented.  

A Pet-Friendly Thanksgiving

During the holiday season, our pets want to be in on the action just like anyone else. It’s important to be prepared for possible pet emergencies if your pet is going to be home during the holidays. It’s important to, first of all, educate your guests about not feeding table scraps to your pet.We recommend having pet treats set aside so that guests who do feel the urge to feed your pet will be sure to feed them something safe. 

 

 

We recommend keeping all garbage can lids on tight as that trash is going to start smelling delicious to your pet once it’s filled with discarded turkey bones and other rich holiday foods. If possible, we also suggest keeping your pet in a quiet, comfortable place away from the action during mealtimes. This keeps them from temptation when plates or food items are spilled on the floor, and can also help alleviate their anxiety. 

 

 

All pets should be given the opportunity to take a nap during the holidays, after all, on regular days most of our pets sleep for 16 hours or more!