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Life at Home New Pets Other

Busting Bunny Myths: What to Know Before You Get One

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Reading Time: 3 minutes People continue to buy rabbits at Easter. Unfortunately, when that is a spontaneous decision, it is typically a wrong decision. While rabbits can be wonderful pets, they’re often paired with young children, which is hardly ever a good idea. Here are 10 things to know about keeping rabbits as companion animals. When purchasing a washing […]

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New Pets Other Shelters & Fostering

Do You Really Want a Ferret? What to Consider Before Getting One

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Lots of people are crazy about ferrets. “I think most veterinarians that work on ferrets will tell you they’re pretty darned adorable,” says Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, DACVB. But people who love them want you to know about the challenges of living with them. “The first thing I always ask people is, ‘Why do you […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Senior Pets Training & Grooming

How to Help Pets Adapt to Vision Loss

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Connecticut resident Kathye O’Brien Anstis and her family were concerned when Riley, their 5-year-old Beagle mix, started bumping into their legs – it was as if he couldn’t see. They took him to a veterinary ophthalmologist who confirmed that Riley had lost his eyesight and diagnosed him with Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS), a […]

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Cats Dogs Other Veterinary Care

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Talking to Your Vet

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Reading Time: 5 minutes Talking to your vet can be stressful. You’re already upset because your pet is sick, medical information can be complicated and confusing, and it’s hard not to worry about the bill. But you may not realize it can be frustrating for your vet as well. We talked to a couple of experienced veterinarians about how […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

Take the Panic Out of Handling a Pet Emergency

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Lisa Lippman, DVM, knows the value of always acquiring knowledge. That may explain why in addition to her skills in house call medicine, general practice, and emergency veterinary medicine, she made the decision to complete a two-day course to become a pet first aid/CPR instructor. Her reason is simple: “In a veterinary clinic, medicines and […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

When Vets Take Pets “To the Back”

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Reading Time: 3 minutes When I worked as a vet tech many years ago, we didn’t routinely “take pets to the back” for treatment. Emergency visits, or pets not easily handled, were the exceptions. But more often than not, dogs and cats had their temperatures taken, vaccines administered, routine blood and stool samples procured, all while in the presence […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Other Senior Pets Veterinary Care

Anxiety Often Accompanies Cognitive Dysfunction

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Reading Time: 4 minutes If your pet has cognitive dysfunction—canine or feline dementia—you may have noticed that he seems to be more anxious than in the past. That’s a common side effect of the condition, but there are ways to manage it. Aging dogs and cats have problems similar to those of elderly humans, and not just physical ones: […]

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Cats Dogs Other Senior Pets Veterinary Care

Make Your Pet’s Last Vet Visit as Free of Fear as His First

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is never easy, but planning and care can help it to be less stressful for your pet, yourself, and veterinary staff. Gracie was nearing 12. She had arthritis in her hips and in both knees. For two years we’d been able to manage her increasing pain with a combination […]

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Cats Dogs Other Veterinary Care

Get The Most From Vet Visits: What Questions To Ask And How

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dog at vet

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ever get home from a vet visit and realize you aren’t really sure when to start that medication or what exactly the next step is for your pet’s treatment? Happens all the time. Here’s how to get the information you need. When I worked as a veterinary technician many years ago, pet parents asked questions […]