Click the seasons link below to view Seasonal Pet Care information.

•  Autumn/Fall
   

  • Fleas and ticks become more active as the nights become cool.  Flea and tick control is recommended year-round.  

    Heartworm prevention is also recommended year-round.  Mosquitoes can gain access to crawl spaces and can continue to breed over the fall and winter months. 

    Halloween candies aren’t just appealing to children and adults, pets are also tempted.  Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is toxic to pets.  Eating chocolate can cause a fatal heart arrhythmia leading to sudden death. 

    Holiday meals may be high in fat; therefore, pets that get into the trash during the holidays are at increased risk of suffering from pancreatitis or foreign body obstruction from bones or other items in the trash.  Signs of pancreatitis and foreign body obstruction can look very similar, i.e., vomiting food or bile, loss of appetite, diarrhea, acting lethargic and unable to hold down water.
     

•  Winter
   

  • Chocolate and Nut Ingestion: Many people like to bake around the holidays and have unsweetened Baker’s dark chocolate in the home.  Care should be taken to prevent pets from eating the dark chocolate.  In addition, macadamia nuts are also toxic to dogs. 

    String Foreign Bodies:  Cats and dogs are very curious and frequently will try to eat strings or holiday tinsel off of the Christmas tree.  If your cat or dog swallows a string or piece of tinsel, they should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.   Do not attempt to pull a string foreign body out of your pet.

    Anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) is extremely toxic if swallowed.  If you spill anti-freeze in your driveway or on the street, hose down the area thoroughly to avoid exposing your family and pets. 

    Frost-bite: Pets can suffer from frost-bite if exposed to frigid, cold temperatures for long periods of time.

    Ice-melt and road salt can be irritating to a pet’s foot pads.  Consider washing their feet off when returning from outdoors.   You can use a spray bottle filled with tap water to clean the feet after walks. 

    Dental Disease: February is dental hygiene month but dental disease is a year-round concern.  If your pet has bad breath or trouble chewing, it may be a sign of dental disease.  We highly recommend preventative dental care at home.  If there is significant tartar and gum disease, your pet is at increased risk for heart, kidney, liver and lung diseases and should have a thorough professional dental cleaning, scaling and polishing.  

•  Spring
   

  • The Bugs are Back!  Keep your pet protected against fleas, ticks, heartworm and intestinal parasites. 

    Bee Stings or Bug Bites:  April showers bring May flowers.  Signs of bee sting allergy are swelling around the eyes and face or welts and hives on the body.  This can be a serious allergic reaction developing.  Your pet should be seen immediately if this happens. 

    Rain also leads to an upswing in mosquito populations.  Be sure to keep your pet protected against heartworm disease.

    Easter lilies are extremely toxic to cats.  The entire lily plant (flower, leaves and roots) if eaten will cause sudden kidney failure in cats.

    Seasonal allergies may suddenly flare up with the increase in pollen.  Early intervention is best.  If you see your pet begin to scratch or itch, please make an appointment for them to be examined.
     

•  Summer
   

  • Heat Stroke:  Never leave your pet in a locked car.  Even if the windows are open, temperatures inside of a vehicle rise rapidly and your pet can suffer from heat stroke. 

    Drowning:  Never leave your pet unattended near a pool.  Pools are wonderful places to enjoy the summer, but can pose a drowning risk to pets if they fall in and are unable to find a way out.

    Dietary Indiscretion:  Summer barbeques are lots of fun but can put pets at risk of eating a bone or a bamboo skewer.  Keep an eye on pets to make sure they don’t get themselves in trouble. 

    Firework and thunderstorm anxiety may increase during the summer months, please schedule an appointment as there are a number of options to relieve your pet’s anxiety. 
    

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General Pet Care Information