Holiday Food Don’ts Rocking around the Christmas tree is great, but don’t let the sight of all those presents and glittering lights distract you from your pets whereabouts relative to the dinner table. Emergency vets are very busy around the holidays. A well-meaning guest might slip Spike a turkey leg or leave a box of […]
By Amanda K. Vogt It is Spring, almost summer, and it’s time for your pet’s annual wellness check. But does your veterinary appointment or annual mailed reminder include vaccines or revaccines (boosters) for rabies, distemper and a whole jumble of daunting multi-lettered vaccines you don’t even recognize? If it does, you might want to ask […]
By Amanda K. Vogt Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related deaths in pets, so it is fitting that May — annual pet check-up time — is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Approximately 30 percent of dogs die from some form of cancer, usually in their later years. Cancer is less common in cats, but when […]
?? By Amanda K. Vogt When we speak to our dogs, and let’s be honest, we do it all the time, we really do believe they listen and understand at least a little. They cock their heads and look at us with loving, alert eyes and we just know they hear us. But do they […]
?? By Amanda K. Vogt Winter is over and Spring has sprung. Time to fertilize the lawn, groom those flower beds, uncover the barbecue and get outside and shake off accumulated months of cabin fever! Remember, though, as we head outdoors, so do our pets. And the very things that make our yards look so lovely can prove deadly […]
?? By Amanda Vogt The canine flu outbreak that originally hit Chicago and sickened over 1,100 dogs and killed at least five in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana, is still a very active danger. A PAWS shelter in Tinley Park remains closed due to the virus and many area boarding facilities are still not accepting dogs. […]
By Amanda K. Vogt Most of us care a great deal about what our pets eat! We read labels, shop veterinarian-recommended brands and try in general to make our pet’s meals interesting and varied. But are we feeding our four-legged family members a balanced diet? Most of us don’t even think that hard about whether […]
Amanda K. Vogt Spring has sprung and as everything blooms and the grass (and weeds) grow, your backyard can seem to present a veritable flora feast for your dog. So is it bad if your dog eats grass? What does grass-eating mean, if anything? Well, my dog Lucy walks around the backyard and selectively feasts on certain […]