Posts in Category: For The Dogs

In 2004, Colleen Paige founded National Dog Day to celebrate the day her family adopted their dog “Sheltie” from a local animal shelter when she was 10 years old. The spirit of National Dog Day was created in order to celebrate dogs, and spread awareness about adoption. 

This year on National Dog Day (August 26), let’s focus on ways to keep our four-legged friends happy and healthy for many National Dog Days to come. 

August is National Immunization Awareness Month for everybody, and that means pets, too! Your friends at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital want to help you figure out what you need to know about pet vaccines so you can be sure your furry friends are protected and healthy.

August 15 is an important day for you and your furry family members. It’s National Check the Chip Day. On this day each year, we are reminded to check our pet’s microchips to make sure they are still functioning properly. It’s also a great day to remember to microchip your pets so they can be returned to you if they’re lost.

It’s National Mutt Day on July 31st, and what better way for Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital to celebrate than to share a little bit about why we think they are the best. Join us in celebrating mutts today and every day!

Your dog deserves the best. You chose that in pet wellness care at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital, in the dog food you selected, and in the people you picked to care for them. Why not their dog house? If you are thinking about DIY’ing dog house design or repair, be sure that you do it right! Here are some of our favorite tips and finds: 

Your puppy turning one is a big deal! They are on their way to becoming an adult, soon to be fully grown (at about fifteen months). Here are some things to look out for during this year of your special pet’s life:

May 2-8 is Dog Anxiety Awareness Week, and the team at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital wants to help you recognize signs of anxiety in canines so you can help to ease it when it occurs. Keep reading to find out if your dog is suffering from anxiety and how you can help them feel calmer and happier on a daily basis.

While in general we at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital regard doggy kisses as the utmost compliment, there are those that do not appreciate them as much. In the words of the great Lucy, “Ugh! I’ve been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs! Get hot water! Get some disinfectant! Get some iodine!”

That seems a pretty extreme reaction, but some dog kisses are a little sloppier than others, and excessive drool in general can be a bit of a turn off. So what’s with the dog slobber and why are some pups wetter than others?

At Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital we hear it all the time: “I can tell he doesn’t feel well; his nose is dry.” There was no dedicated Dog Nose 101 class in veterinary school so it is easy to wonder if the status of your dog’s nose has anything to do with how your pet is really doing from a health perspective. 

So what can you tell from a dog’s nose? Read on and we will share our knowledge.

Living with a bossy dog means that you are not in the driver’s seat when it comes to your daily routines. When your dog thinks he is the boss, he might bark a lot to get his way, mark his territory by urinating inside your house, or even bite when he feels like he is not being heard. 

While this can cause some tension at home, there are ways to exert your own dominance over your dog and show him who is the true boss of your household: