In honor of International Cat Day, we’ve put together a list of the easiest things any cat owner can do to make sure their cat is as healthy and happy as possible.
As beloved pets age, it can be difficult to know how their health care needs to change so we will be discussing 3 ways to better care for senior animals. After all, your cat or dog can’t tell you what he or she is feeling. To stay on top their health into old age, it is important to adjust their veterinary care as needed, including going to the vet more often. Here are a few tips for ensuring that your furry friend receives top notch senior health care.
Just like humans, dogs can have hypertension, which is higher than normal blood pressure. The best way to prevent hypertension in your pet is through a healthy diet and exercise. The risk of high blood pressure increases as the animal ages. One study found that up to 10% of dogs may suffer from high blood pressure1!
This past week my colleague, Jacinta McGlone, and I visited the Wake County SPCA located in Raleigh, NC. While there, we spoke with Staff Veterinarian Dr. Anna Boswell and Medical Assistant Allison Baker at the shelter. These ladies provided us valuable information on their ongoing battle to save countless animals' lives.
For many of us, the holiday season means changes to our home; including packages with ribbons and bows, lit candles, new plants & decorations and large gatherings of people. Remember to consider the impact on the four-legged and furry members of your family. With that in mind, we have created a resource that is designed to ensure your pets have a safe and happy holiday season. Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments section.
A blood pressure check is one of the first procedures done when you go to the doctor. So it should be no surprise that your veterinarian will likely check your pet’s blood pressure, too!
It is becoming more and more common for vets to regularly check blood pressure at every checkup. However, many pet owners do not realize that their pet’s blood pressure is constantly changing in response to many factors. Being aware of these factors and ensuring that your pet is comfortable in its environment will help the vet to get the most accurate blood pressure reading. Here is a list of 5 factors that may cause significant changes in your pet’s blood pressure:
Taking a blood pressure on a companion animal is very different than what you experience at the doctor’s office. You can’t tell a dog or cat to sit still and be quiet throughout the entire blood pressure measurement and actually expect it to happen. It’s more similar to trying to take an infant’s BP, except these wiggly patients have fur!
Believe it or not, your pet can have high blood pressure too! That being said, the significance of this is a bit different than it would be for you and me. Hypertension in cats and dogs is almost always secondary, which means it is caused by an underlying condition or disease. Because secondary hypertension is a signal that something else is wrong, blood pressure screening is a great way to discover other health issues in your pet such as acute kidney disease or hyperthyroidism. BP screening can help to prevent serious organ damage if a condition or disease is caught in its early stages.