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Adopting a pet for the holidays sounds like a great idea. However, holiday pet adoption is a huge responsibility that should involve thought and planning. Below is our Guide for Holiday Pet Adoptions.

Pet Adoption 101

Whether its during the holidays or any other time, there are items to consider before adopting a pet.

Lifestyle

What will the new pet’s daily life look like? Will you have enough time to care for the pet, play with it, take it on walks, and provide training, or will everyone be out all day with activities occupying the evenings and weekends? A lonely and untrained pet can become a frustrated and destructive pet, especially, if it is a high energy breed that needs a lot of physical activity on a daily basis.

Choosing the Pet

Selecting the right pet is just as important as making sure all of the other factors line up. Each type of pet has a different set of needs and requirements for feeding, housing, exercise, grooming, socialization, and medical care. It’s important to do your research ahead of time.

It’s usually best to allow the recipient(s) to participate in selecting their pet of choice, rather than surprising them on the big day. Giving a stuffed dog or cat with a pet toy, a leash or carrier is an exciting way to surprise someone, especially kids, and allows the entire family to pick out the pet together at a later date.

Financial Means

Food, veterinary care, grooming, and training costs can really add up over the life of a pet. Ensure that the person receiving the pet can handle the additional financial responsibility of pet supplies, food, training, and veterinary care.

Living Situation

Where the pet lives is also an important consideration. While a small apartment may be ideal for a cat, it may not be so great for a 50 pound dog. You’ll need to be realistic about the indoor and outdoor space that will be available to share with a pet.

Will the New Owner Be A Child?

The ASPCA recommends waiting until children are between 10 and 13 years old before introducing the responsibility of a pet. However, regardless of the child’s age, an adult in the household must be fully committed to caring for the pet if the child cannot. Children should not be expected to take full ownership responsibilities, such as driving the pet to the veterinarian. 

Commitment

Dogs live an average of 10-14 years, and cats can live 15-20 years. Pet adoption is a long term commitment that requires a thoughtful and a realistic look at one’s life. Shelters are full of pets that didn’t “work out”; you don’t want this to be how your pet ends up.

Do people routinely tell you how wonderful your dog is? If you are used to hearing “You have the best dog in the world!”, and you’re interested in sharing your dog with others who may benefit from your dog’s sweetness, perhaps you should consider therapy dog training! After all, what better way to spread the happiness and comfort that your dog brings than taking your sweet pup into a hospital or to a senior center where there are people who would appreciate a visit from a special four-legged companion?

Anyone who owns a dog knows how much this special bond adds to their quality of life, and there’s science to back it up. Recently, therapy dogs have been recognized by the scientific community for the health and healing benefits that they offer. Studies show that simply petting a dog stimulates the release of “feel good” neurochemicals, and contributes to lowered blood pressure, less depression, and an overall reduction in stress. There are numerous ways that therapy dogs can provide support, companionship, hope, and other health benefits to help people heal from both physical and psychological ailments. 

Dealing with a dog or cat that can’t make it outdoors or to the litter box in time can be incredibly frustrating. Following your pet around, encouraging it to go in the appropriate spot, only to turn around and see a new puddle on the floor can leave even the most patient pet owner at wit’s end. 

There are many possible causes for incontinence in pets, ranging from an infection or disease to a simple lack of proper house training. Exploring the potential cause is part of good preventive care and should be pursued. In cases where the cause cannot be treated, pet diapers may be the solution.

Cat owners know the unique joys and challenges of life with cats. You want the best for your cat, but sometimes figuring out what these notoriously fickle creatures want and need can feel like  dancing on the tip of a pin!

Still, we adore cats at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center and we’ve seen a thing or two over the many years we’ve been taking care of our clients’ cats. We’ve come up with the top 5 things cats hate and what you, as a loving owner, can do about it!

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. 

Traveling with a pet can be fun, but it also presents some significant challenges. Since we know airline travel is extremely stressful for pets, there are things you can do to make the big day go more smoothly and safely for them.

Airline travel with pets can be a lot of work. But with planning, preparation and a little help from your Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center team, you and your pet will be jet-setting off into the sunset in good style.

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.

We may not speak the same language as our cats, but that doesn’t mean they can’t communicate effectively with us. While often appearing independent and aloof, cats are constantly communicating their mood, likes, and dislikes with us through that beautiful hind-end appendage, their tail!

When you know what to look for, a cat’s tail can be a wealth of information. With careful observation, and a little help from us at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, you’ll be understanding “cat speak” in no time!

At our altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level, most Denver residents and visitors don’t experience the debilitating effects of altitude sickness. However, once they venture into the mountains, the situation changes. Nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath associated with altitude sickness. This affects about 20% of people above 8,000 feet. Potentially ruining a day of skiing, hiking, or sightseeing.

Pets are also vulnerable to altitude changes and can experience many of the same symptoms as humans. Left unchecked, altitude sickness in pets can be dangerous. And can lead to a potentially deadly buildup of fluid in the lungs and brain.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the great Colorado outdoors with your pet. However, knowing the signs of altitude sickness in pets and when to seek help is crucial for keeping them safe in the mountains.

Was your dog running happily through the yard one minute, then limping and unable to put weight on one of its rear legs the next? Or, have you watched your older dog become less active due to a gradual deterioration in one of its knees, a problem that you know is affecting your dog’s quality of life? 

A torn cranial cruciate ligament (called CCL in pets and ACL in humans) may be to blame. This is a common problem in dogs and, in many cases, requires surgery to correct and to prevent further damage to the knee joint as time goes on.

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery is one of the most widely used procedures for repairing a torn CCL in dogs (and sometimes cats). At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, we are fortunate to have a skilled and certified TPLO surgeon on our medical team who has helped hundreds of dogs return to an active life through TPLO surgery. Since we have seen so many successful results with this procedure, we thought it important to explain what TPLO surgery is, why it’s so effective, and offer tips for supporting your dog’s orthopedic health after TPLO surgery.