Veterinary Blog in Lakeland, FL

Why Your Dog or Cat Needs a Wellness Plan

Planning is a great tool for success.  From sports and business to personal growth and goal-setting, planning provides the roadmap to get you from point A to your end result goals.  Our pets ask for little from us, but they need a plan, too.  And it’s up to us to devise it and put it into practice. In…

Why Your Pet Needs an Annual Blood Test

“Do you really need to do bloodwork on him/her?” I hear this question a lot. We may recommend bloodwork for your pets for a wide variety of reasons. Your pet’s blood can tell us a lot about what’s going on with their health. Sure, we have digital x-ray and ultrasound, and they can help, too-…

What You Need to Know About Heartworm Disease in Dogs

One of the reasons I moved to Florida close to 20 years ago is I love spending time outdoors (and I was tired of the snow!). Although I spend a lot of time inside working, I still love getting outside as much as I can.  That goes for my pets, too. They love running around at the dog park or even just playing in the backyard…

What You Need to Know About Heartworm Disease in Cats

If you have both dogs and cats in your household, you may have already read my blog on heartworms for dogs. But you don’t know the whole story. Heartworms also can affect cats- but it affects them differently. So, don’t skip reading this just because you read what you need to know about heartworm disease in dogs. Your cat (and I) thank you. It’s important…

Smart Flea & Tick Prevention for Dogs and Cats

What is the number one reason that people visit their doctor?  The answer may surprise you.  According to a recent survey done by the Mayo Clinic, it’s not back pain (that’s #3) or respiratory issues (#5 on the list). It’s for skin conditions- whether it be a rash, acne or other skin disorders. I find this interesting because skin disorders/itching is also the #1 reason pet owners schedule appointments…

Good Dental Care for Dogs and Cats

Just imagine if you never brushed your teeth- I shudder at the thought. Of course, so does your dentist! Our dental health is vital, which is why we brush our teeth, floss (or at least tell our dentist we do) and schedule regular visits and cleanings with our dentist.  The same should apply for your pets. Pets are susceptible to pretty much the same dental diseases that…

Simple 4th of July Safety Tips

When you think about the Fourth of July holiday, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Many of us think about cookouts, pool parties and of course, fireworks. While these are all fun things for us, each of these can pose dangerous risks for your pets. We want to make sure that your pets…

Rabies Alerts for Hillsborough County

Updated August 29, 2018 In the past week, there have been 2 new cases of rabid cats attacking residents of Hillsborough County. The latest unprovoked attack took place in Gibsonton, with the previous attack taking place in Tampa, a few miles north of the airport.  This brings the number of confirmed rabies cases in our…