How To Care For Your Pet During Winter
If you own a pet, you know that taking care of the animal goes further than simply feeding him and taking him on walks. If you [...]
Vitamins and Supplements
About 30% of dogs take supplements for both age-related problems and to achieve optimal health. Here are the most common supplements and their applications. Vitamins – [...]
Winter Enrichment for your Pets
Everyone wants to hibernate during the winter months, especially your pets. However, staying active is important for your pets to maintain their health. Here are some [...]
Microchipping your Pet
Microchipping your pet is an important safety measure. If you pet gets out or loses its collar, finding your pet can be speedy and easy. Shelters [...]
Top 5 Pet Hazards To Watch Out For This Christmas Holiday
Christmas is undoubtedly the most wonderful time of the year; the colorful lights, the jolly decorations, the presents, and having the people you love around you [...]
First Aid for Torn Footpads in Cats
Your feline's footpads are very important. Find out how to take care of them if they get injured. Although lowly in position, your cat’s feet occupy a [...]
A Cleaner, Greener Home for Your Pets
Find out some ways to make your home cleaner and greener for your pets! Go green! Conservationists everywhere tout the benefits of living a “green” life. Being [...]
The Rice and Fall of Diarrhea
Does your pet have an upset tummy? Find out why we recommend a homemade bland diet of rice and chicken for your furry friend! When your [...]
Adverse Reactions to Food in Cats
Do you think your feline friend is having an adverse reaction to their food? Find out what to look for and what you can do to [...]
Wellness Testing
One of the trickiest things about being a good pet parent is knowing when your furry friend needs medical care. Sometimes it’s obvious, but other times [...]
Top 10 Warning Signs of Cancer in Pets
Some of these signs, such as weight loss and bad breath, may be indicative of cancer or they may signify other health problems. Regardless, they should always prompt a [...]
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs and Cats
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) happens when the pancreas is unable to produce enzymes that help with digestion. Both dogs and cats are susceptible to the condition and often [...]
Help Your Pet Have a Long Healthy Life
Being a good pet parent is an important responsibility. Here are some tips to help your pet have a long, healthy life: Spaying or neutering your [...]
The Probable Causes Of Kidney Disease In Dogs
Dogs reaching their senior years are more susceptible to kidney issues. Although their bodies repair worn-out tissues and cells, the rate of repair often goes down [...]
Show Care For Your Pets By Pet-Proofing Your Surroundings
Pet owners must always make sure that they create a suitable living environment for their pets. Oftentimes, certain things that we may consider harmless are actually [...]
Traveling With Your Pet? Check Out These Tips First
According to a 2009 survey by AAA and Best Western International, more than three-quarters of respondents said they want to take their pets with them on [...]
Springtime Flea Prevention Tips For Your Pet
By the time spring approaches, most people are more than ready for some warm weather. There are many things to think about during this time and [...]
Combating Heatstroke: Help Your Puppy Beat The Heat!
Do you know that puppies are affected by heatstroke just like humans? It gets even worse during the summer when temperatures go through the roof. Heatstroke [...]
Declaw Surgery for Cats
Scratching is a natural cat behavior, but it can be destructive in a household. Declaw surgery generally involves the removal of all or a portion of the last [...]
What First Time Cat Owners Should Know About Spaying And Neutering
First-time cat owners often find it difficult to decide if their feline companion should be spayed/neutered or not. The decision is not an easy one, mainly because [...]
Does Your Dog Have Worms?
Regardless of how careful you are as a pet owner, intestinal parasites seem to be a very common problem in dogs. Whether it’s from eating an [...]
Are You Still Believing These Myths About The Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm infection is a problem that affects many pets around the country. It is important to understand more about heartworm prevention so that you can keep [...]
A Guide to Neutering Your Male Puppy
So you’ve just got your new puppy, and you are now wondering whether or not to neuter him. The decision to neuter one’s pet is a [...]
Warning Signs That Indicate Your Dog Has Rabies
As a dog owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your dog remains healthy throughout its lifespan. One of the most dreaded diseases your [...]
A Dog Owner’s Guide To Lyme Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention
Lyme disease constitutes the most prevalent disease spread via tick bites. Both animals and humans are susceptible to the spirochete known as Borrelia burgdorferi which is [...]
How To Treat and Protect Your Dog Against Kennel Cough
Coughing is a common phenomenon in dogs and is usually a reaction to a certain trigger. Generally, you should not worry about a simple cough as [...]
Common Symptoms Indicating that Your Dog Might Have Parvovirus
Parvovirus is a contagious virus that basically affects dogs, even though this virus was first perceived to have originated from cats. This acute dog disease was [...]
Understanding Canine Distemper In Dogs
Canine distemper is a contagious viral disease that affects dogs. The disease is also known to affect some species of wildlife, including skunks, wolves, coyotes, ferrets, [...]
Vaccinations Can Protect Your Dogs Against Common Viral Diseases!
It is important for any avid dog lover to know that vaccinations are extremely important for your four-legged buddy. There are very common diseases that can [...]
Your Pet’s Dental Health
Does your pet have bad breath? Bad breath isn’t just unpleasant, it can be unhealthy. Up to 80% of dogs and 70% of cats that do [...]
Tick-Borne Diseases
Spring and summer in our area mean it's tick season. Even dogs and cats that spend only brief periods of time outdoors can be susceptible to [...]
Swine Influenza and You
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally [...]
Parasites and Your Pet
Are you itching to protect your pets from parasites? Here is a resource for all your parasite prevention questions and needs. Did you know? A single [...]
International Travel with Pets
If you plan to travel internationally with your pet, be aware that there may be special health certificates and vaccination requirements for the country you plan [...]
Facts About Canine Influenza
Dog flu is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs caused by a specific Type A influenza virus referred to as a “canine influenza virus.” This is [...]
Dietary Changes For Dogs In The Cold Season
With the cold season just around the corner, dog owners are wondering about the optimal diet for their four-legged friends. Should they feed them a similar [...]
Care For Your Companion After Vaccinations
Vaccinations for your furry friends are very common. However, sometimes they come with some mild side effects. Find out what to look for and when to [...]
Why Does My Cat Knock Everything Off My Desk?
As numerous hilarious Internet videos show, our cats seem to love to knock things off high places. Why do they engage in this funny — but also sometimes [...]
Top 3 Fruits to Feed your Pet this Fall
Even though there have been numerous awareness campaigns and even scandals regarding pet food, most owners continue to purchase and feed unsafe commercial food to their [...]
Preventatives – Part 2
Let's go over the common parasites and the preventatives we prefer to use to treat and prevent them. I’ll talk about heartworms since they are the [...]
Parasites and Preventatives – Part 3
Intestinal parasites are very common in dogs and cats, especially in puppies and kittens. The signs of these infections can be gastrointestinal problems, lack of weight [...]
Bravecto Updated!
Flea and tick preventatives are extremely important, especially when the weather gets warmer, we will see more fleas and ticks coming out due to the change [...]
Acute Colitis
Acute colitis is a very common occurrence in our patients at St. Francis. It is defined as a sudden onset of colonic inflammation, manifesting with diarrhea [...]
Acute Colitis – Part 2
Chronic colitis is defined as persistent signs of colonic inflammation, having greater than 3 weeks duration. The same signs are seen with acute colitis but an [...]
Hyperthyroidism in Cats
Hyperthyroidism in cats is a common condition in middle-aged to geriatric felines, which has many effects on the body if left untreated. The disease is usually [...]
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease is a problem that is seen commonly in middle-aged to geriatric cats, and less so in older dogs. It is to be differentiated [...]
Ear Infections
Ear infections are more often seen in dogs, and sometimes seen in cats. They range from mild to severe, acute to chronic, and causes for them [...]
Flea Bite Allergies
A flea bite allergy is a type that is seen often at our clinic. It is seen in dogs and cats of any age but is [...]
Atopic Dermatitis
Allergies can present in many ways, and be caused by many things. The term “atopic dermatitis” is a general name for an allergic skin disease due [...]
Lily Toxicity in Cats
Lilies are a popular ornamental plant in homes, especially around Easter time. Unfortunately, lilies can be highly toxic to cats if they ingest any part of [...]
Ultrasounds
This article is on the use of ultrasound in veterinary medicine. This diagnostic tool can be very useful in the evaluation of organs inside the body [...]
Dental Health
Dental disease is the most common disease in companion animals and affects all breeds of cats and dogs. There are methods of prevention, and care that [...]
Feline Cystitis
Feline lower urinary tract disease is also known as feline idiopathic cystitis. This is a condition that is commonly seen in our practice and can range [...]
Chocolate Toxicity
This article is about chocolate toxicity in dogs. As with all toxicities, it is dose-dependent (how much is eaten), and variable in effect on an animal. [...]
Cushing’s Disease
Hyperadrenocorticism is also known as Cushing’s disease. This is a relatively common problem in dogs and rare in cats. It is a syndrome that is caused [...]
Our Pharmacy
What is the difference between buying medications from St. Francis Hospital for Animals versus purchasing them from an online pharmacy? This is a controversial topic amongst [...]
Rabies Vaccine
The Rabies vaccine is a very important vaccination that all of our pets should have, and are legally required to have. Rabies is a viral neurological [...]
Heat Exhaustion / Heat Stroke
Heat Exhaustion or Heat stroke is a serious condition for dogs. This can occur in cats as well, but usually only on rare occasions when a [...]
Distemper Vaccine
What is the DHPP vaccine? What is the DHLPP vaccine? How do they differ and why do our dogs need them? What we call the “Distemper” [...]