Identifying Your Pet if He or She Goes Missing
Your pet is a member of your family. If it ever got lost, you would be beside yourself. The good news is that there are several options when it comes to identifying your pet. If your pet should become lost, any of these methods, used alone or in combination, can help ensure that your family member makes it home safely. Identification Tags ID tags are the oldest and most commonly used method of identifying cats and dogs. These tags come in a variety of shapes, colors and materials. You can even find cute and fun hand-stamped ID tags on sites like Etsy. QR Tags QR tags are relatively new on the market, but even more useful than ID tags. You purchase the tag and enter your pet’s information on the manufacturer’s website. If your pet gets lost, someone...
Tis the Season for Canine Flu
If you’re a pet parent, you’ve undoubtedly wondered if dogs can get the flu. Indeed they can. The canine influenza virus (CIV) is not the flu that you are thinking of. Your dog won’t vomit, get the chills or experience muscle aches like you do. CIV is a contagious respiratory disease that is quite easily passed from dog to dog. Symptoms The symptoms of CIV are very similar to kennel cough, but the disease may seemingly take on a life of its own, causing some dogs to exhibit more severe symptoms. When your dog has CIV, it may cough, sneeze, produce thick, yellowish-green nasal discharge, lose its appetite, develop a fever, and experience lethargy. Susceptibility Pet owners typically wonder if their dogs are susceptible to CIV. Your Alexandria VA veterinarians...
Understanding Pet Obesity with your Alexandria Veterinarian
It is estimated that 54 percent of pet dogs and cats in America are overweight of obese. Carrying excess weight is just as unhealthy for a pet as it is for a human. Luckily, there are ways that you can help your pet shed the pounds and return to a healthy, normal weight. Health Problems Pets that are overweight or obese are prone to joint problems. Hips and stifles are the most commonly affected. Pet obesity affects internal organs like the heart. It’s important to understand that even being two pounds overweight can negatively impact your pet’s health and wellness. Causes There is one simple reason that pets gain weight: They eat too much. Pet parents don’t like to think that they are overfeeding their pets but, if your pet is heavy, chances...
How To Brush Your Dog’s Teeth – Alexandria VA Animal Hospital
Don’t overlook your dog’s dental care. Canine dental care is an essential component to your pet’s health because dental disease can lead to other serious health concerns like kidney and heart disease. While many of our Hollin Hall Animal Hospital customers want to promote clean teeth for their loved ones, a common question is, How do I brush my dog’s teeth? No one said it would be easy, but here is a video to help answer that question and hopefully give you some helpful tips. About the Author Dr. Holly Gill is an experienced veterinarian in Alexandria, Virginia. Connect with Dr. Gill on...
Dog & Cat Dental Care – Essential Components to your Pet’s Health
Dental care is an essential component to your pet’s health because dental disease can lead to other serious health concerns like kidney and heart disease. Veterinarians today offer a full range of pet dental services to keep your pet’s mouth, gums and teeth healthy and strong. Routine veterinarian dentistry examinations include cleaning and polishing to remove plaque that can cause gingivitis, tooth loss and receding gums. During the examination, veterinarians will check your pet’s mouth for signs of other dental diseases like swollen gums, proliferating gum disease, distemper, tumors, salivary cysts and periodontal disease. Dental X-rays are a integral part of many veterinarian practices and help them to evaluate your pet’s oral health and...
Pet Dentistry – Veterinarian Dental Care – Alexandria VA
Dental care is an essential component to your pet’s health because dental disease can lead to other serious health concerns like kidney and heart disease. At Hollin Hall Animal Hospital, we offer a full range of pet dental services to keep your pet’s mouth, gums and teeth healthy and strong. Our routine examinations include cleaning and polishing to remove plaque that can cause gingivitis, tooth loss and receding gums. During the examination, we will check your pet’s mouth for signs of other dental diseases like swollen gums, proliferating gum disease, distemper, tumors, salivary cysts and periodontal disease. Dental X-rays are a integral part of our practice and help us evaluate your pet’s oral health and diagnose a range of issues. More...