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Whether it’s a dog, cat, or llama, you’re probably always looking for a way to make your pet feel a little extra special. Pampering your pet is not only a great way to show affection, but the extra attention and care may help you and your pet form a more lasting and meaningful bond. Here are our top 5 ways to let your furry, scaly, or befeathered friend know how much you appreciate them:

Diabetes is a pretty common health issue in human medicine and many of us are familiar with what it is. Oftentimes, though, pet owners don’t realize that this potentially serious health condition can affect dogs and cats as well. The Whole Pet Vet Hospital and Wellness Center knows how important it is to you to keep your furry friends healthy, and understanding a little bit about pet diabetes can help you to accomplish that.

Anal glands are located on either side of your dog’s rectum. When your dog defecates, the glands express a uniquely scented fluid onto the feces that identifies your dog from any other. When you see dogs sniffing the backend of another dog, they can tell from this scent if they’ve met before, if the dog is healthy, aggressive, and more!

With all the excitement and possibilities of the start of a new year, it can be easy to forget that holidays like New Year’s Eve are not exciting for everyone. Between big gatherings of people, fireworks, and other loud noises, the final night of the year can induce some serious anxiety in your pets. The Whole Pet Vet Hospital & Wellness Center wants to help you keep your beloved pets free from anxiety this New Year’s Eve.

When things go wrong, er, down there, it can be embarrassing. When you need to ask for help for your dog, though, there is no shame in asking your friends at The Whole Pet Vet Hospital & Wellness Center. When a dog’s penis becomes stuck out for a length of time (called paraphimosis), it can be an emergency. It’s important to know when to seek veterinary care. 

At The Whole Pet Vet Hospital and Wellness Center, our holistic, integrative approach to patient care extends into our philosophy of community wellness. We are proud to partner with local organizations that serve all of our area animal friends and their owners. 

Whether you are taking your pet on a trip or just want to have a plan in place for unexpected situations, disaster preparedness is an important element of pet ownership. The Whole Pet Vet Hospital & Wellness Center wants to help you be prepared for anything with your pets:

At Home or Away, Plan for Trouble before It Happens

It is imperative to include your pets in all of your disaster preparedness plans so you know how to get them to safety in the event of an emergency. Be sure to:

• Designate one family member to secure each pet 
• Get your pets microchipped in case you get separated
• Make sure your microchip information is up to date
• Make a list of nearby accommodations that allow pets in case you have to evacuate

Our animal friends are naturally curious and many are motivated by anything that resembles food. Pair that with the fact that they are limited to exploring their world mostly with the mouth, and some human items can become quite dangerous.

One of the most dangerous areas for pets in our homes is the medicine cabinet. Many items in there are toxic or otherwise hazardous and big animal no-nos. Knowing what items are dangerous, which ones to never give a sick pet, and how to secure your medicine cabinet is an important part of pet safety and things The Whole Pet Vet Hospital & Wellness Center wants you to know. 

Whether you’ve been with your senior cat since kittenhood, or you adopted them later on in their life, you may have some concerns about what they need. While their dietary considerations and lifestyles can change drastically over time, age-related shifts can be slow and subtle. In order to meet your aging cat where they are (or, even better, anticipate where they’ll be), we offer some insight into the most important elements of senior cat care.

Jumping to conclusions is part of human nature—especially if we’re faced with something frightening or confusing. When pet owners find new growths on or just under a pet’s skin, it’s natural to worry about them and assume the worst. 

A lump or bump on your pet should never be ignored.  It may turn out to be nothing serious, or it could mean something more. Put your mind at ease and have them examined. We can determine if it’s a problem that needs to be addressed, or simply monitored throughout your pet’s life.