Posts in Category: Pet Health & Wellness

It probably comes as no surprise that “get healthier” is the most popular New Year’s resolution among Americans. Holiday meals and parties, cookies at the office and at Grandma’s house, and extra treats from friends and neighbors can add up over time, causing a run on gym memberships and diet cookbooks come January 2nd. 

Pets, too, can suffer the ill effects of overindulgence, including the health and mobility consequences that go along with extra weight. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be difficult to keep your furry friend fit and trim during the holidays.

A little bit of planning, a commitment to your pet’s well being, and the support of your Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center team will go a long way toward making sure your best pal feels and looks its best all year long.

You are minding your own business, when out of nowhere comes the odd, surprising, and utterly weird sound of honking or wheezy snorting from your dog. You run to your pet’s aid, only to discover that he or she is perfectly fine, standing there as though nothing has happened. But what did happen? Do you call us or drop everything and rush your pet in as an emergency?

It is likely that what your pet just experienced is known as paroxysmal respiration, more commonly called “reverse sneezing”. Hearing a reverse sneeze can certainly be alarming, but it’s often a normal occurrence for a dog or cat. 

Discovering a lump or bump on your pet can be concerning at best, frightening at worst. It’s understandable to worry: Is it normal? Does my pet need to see the veterinarian right away?

While new lumps and bumps on our pets should never be ignored, in many cases, they end up being nothing to worry about. Our medical team at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center has seen countless lumps and bumps, so you can rely on us to help determine when one is a problem that needs to be addressed and when it’s not.

Cats are clean by nature. In fact, it can sometimes seem that your cat spends half its time washing its face and ears, smoothing down fur, cleaning out paw pads, and generally keeping him or herself beautiful.

Regardless of how well your cat takes care of itself, most cats can benefit from a little help. Home cat grooming can help you keep a close eye on your cat’s haircoat, skin, and nails, as well as decrease hairballs by removing loose fur. It can also help deepen the bond you share with your feline companion. Finally, home grooming can help ward off that dreaded visit (by your cat) to the groomer to correct matting and other problems that can result when regular maintenance needs are not addressed.  

Whisker fatigue is a term that might be unfamiliar to you, but it’s a condition in cats that can lead to considerable stress.

The Incredible Whisker

It’s hard to imagine a cat without a set of luxurious, adorable whiskers. The primary function of whiskers is to serve as touch receptors that tell a cat a great deal about the world around them.

Whiskers transmit information about a cat’s environment via tiny sensory organs known as proprioceptors. These organs are located at the base of each whisker. They help cats navigate their environment in the dark, hunt for prey and determine whether or not they can fit into a tight space.

Spring is a notoriously fickle time in Colorado. One day, we’re enjoying temperatures in the 60s, and the next day we’re hit with a snow storm! This variation between cold and warm weather can make it easy to ignore your pet’s parasite prevention. Unfortunately, a little spring snow isn’t enough to keep fleas and ticks at bay for long. Although they may seem inactive during a cold spell, it only takes a few 50 to 60 degree days for parasites to become active again.

While fleas and ticks can be found anywhere outdoors, they are most likely picked up by a pet after they’ve dropped off of another animal onto the ground, grass or a shrub. Even if a pet doesn’t go outdoors, it can still be exposed to these parasites when they’ve hitched a ride indoors on someone’s clothing. Unfortunately, they’re usually not noticed until they’ve bitten your pet and started to cause itching, skin rash and hair loss problems. Or, as with a tick, you’ve discovered a little round bump on your pet that wasn’t there a few days before.        

If you’re a longtime Denver area resident, you’ve surely noticed how much the metro area has grown over the past 10 years. And, our population growth continues to extend outward beyond the city and surrounding suburban areas.

While Colorado’s popularity as a great place to live is mostly a good thing, it also affects us in ways that we may not think of, such as how it affects our pets. With more and more people and pets moving here, the number of heartworm disease cases seen by local veterinarians has increased every year.

As we settle in for another season of tinkering around in our garage and backyard, it’s important to keep your pet’s safety in mind. Many of the chemicals we commonly use for outdoor maintenance can injure or even kill a pet. Although you may not expect your pet to get into trouble in your garage or yard, pets can be known to eat just about anything, so protecting them from outdoor pet toxins is essential.

We brush our teeth twice a day, floss regularly, and visit the dentist every 6 months. Why do we do all this work? To prevent cavities, of course! We all want to avoid a date with the dentist’s drill, and most of us will do anything to keep those nasty little holes from developing in our teeth.

When it comes to pet dental care, however, (which is something we’re passionate about here at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center!), cavities aren’t always on the radar. Although rare, cavities in pets are certainly possible, and preventing them is important to keeping your pet’s teeth and gums healthy.

Ringing in the New Year with a list of ways we’d like to improve our lives is a time-honored tradition. Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, or quitting a bad habit, there are endless ways to start 2019 off on the right foot. Pets can also benefit from lifestyle tweaks aimed at enhancing health and happiness. That’s why we’ve identified some New Year’s resolutions for pets that can help you both live your best and happiest lives together.