Posts in Category: You & Your Pet

Pets are priceless, and as members of the family, they deserve to receive quality veterinary care. We’re fortunate that advancements in veterinary medicine have led to improved outcomes for pets that suffer an injury or develop a serious illness. But modern medicine comes at a cost. 

Any way you slice it, pet noise anxiety is a problematic, even traumatic, experience for them. While not limited to thunderstorms or firework displays, these are the most common causes of noise-related stress in pets. Animals can also be triggered by sporting events, parades, large trucks, and so much more. It’s time to face pet noise anxiety in order to protect them from harm and preserve their state of mind. 

If you have known anyone who has lost a pet, you know the extreme heartbreak that ensues is incomparable to anything else. Because pets are naturally curious and want to explore their surroundings, it is important to ensure that they have a way to be found if they become lost. The quick solution is to apply a pet collar with an ID tag, however, these can easily break, fall off, or can be removed by others. 

Though it is hard to believe, approximately 10 million cats and dogs are lost or stolen each year. Microchips are a permanent ID solution that has helped countless families reunite with their fluffy loved ones. 

Our veterinary team would be happy to help explain more about the benefits of microchipping at your initial visit. In the meantime, here are some of the microchip basics.

We know that pudgy puppies and tubby tabbies look extra cute and cuddly, but the fact is, those extra LBs are impacting more than your pet’s dress size. A little extra weight can put your pet at an increased risk of serious health conditions. And while she might not seem self-conscious about those extra pounds, you can bet the added heft is affecting her energy levels and mobility. 

There are plenty of doggone good reasons to welcome a pet dog into your family, but if you’re still on the fence about adopting a canine companion, we’ve got three undeniably pawsome reasons why dogs make great pets!

Check out these benefits of owning a dog, and once you’ve welcomed your new four-legged friend, our dog lovers at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital are here with a lifetime of quality care, including expert wellness, senior pet care, and veterinary surgery.

With the dog (or cat!) days of summer fast approaching, it’s time to make plans for summertime activities with your pet. But before hitting the beach or the hiking trail, check out these tips from our experts for ways to beat the heat and keep your pet safe this summer.

Cats are incredibly intelligent, but beyond properly using their litter box, we do not expect a whole lot from them. Why is that? Is it because cats universally give off a vibe that they’re “above” being trained? They are undoubtedly capable of being trained, but perhaps it’s the way they’re approached that matters most. If you’ve ever wondered if you could (or should) leash train your cat, this could be the moment you’ve been waiting for.

There are certain badges of honor that we pet lovers wear. Be it traces of fur on our black pants or a carefully hidden toy in our flower arrangement, our animals are a proud part of our lives.

Dog slobber is one of those parts of pet ownership, though, that can be a little trying to live with. While Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital can’t do away with drool altogether, we do think it’s helpful for pet owners to know why dog slobber happens and what they can do to minimize its impact on their lives.

The pets we share our lives with are pretty predictable (despite significant evidence to the contrary), but then again, so are we. Whether bi-pedal or four-legged, we like certain things to happen at particular moments of the day, or week, or month. Creatures, as it were, of habit. 

As if dogs couldn’t get any cooler, they went ahead and figured out how to serve and protect soldiers in active war zones. This isn’t a new concept. In fact, the ancient ancestors of today’s modern military pups trained, scouted, and tracked in remarkably similar ways. Civilizations as far back as the mid-seventh century B.C. employed dogs to rush, fight, haul, and protect. Today’s canine veterans are equally capable (if not more so), and are also leaned on for emotional support.