Heartland Veterinary Clinic Blog - Heartland Veterinary Clinic

Have You Checked the Chip?

6/10/2020

Say hello to June! Full of sunshine, pet walks, and microchips. Yes, microchips! June is National Microchip Awareness Month. A pet microchip is a rice sized electronic device that is inserted under the skin. Each chip has a unique number code that can be found with a microchip scanner that animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and city pounds have. Once implanted, the chip cannot be lost, broken, fall off, or be removed like a collar and tags can be. That means if your pet were to ever get lost, your pet has a permanent form of identification.

Why is this important?

Dirty Ears? Let's Take a Look!

5/15/2020

With the warm weather, everyone is starting to spend more time outside with their pets. We continue to see many medical appointments concerning the patient's ears. We thought a post on ear infections and cleaning ears would be helpful to our clients. With the many ear appointments, we have also heard of many ways to clean the pet's ears. We would like to explain the correct way to clean the pet's ears for the health and happiness of your pet.

Ticks! They're Out There!

4/22/2020

The start of spring with April reminds us of heartworm disease and of course tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. Borrelia burgdorferi is the disease transmitted by deer ticks that cause Borreliosis (Lyme disease). A lot of fancy words, can you keep up? Tick-borne disease is not commonly talked about here in Brookings, South Dakota however it is prevalent in the area. Minnesota is a high-risk area and a close neighbor to us. If your pet is traveling to Minnesota, hunting, or in a heavily wooded area we highly recommend awareness about the tick-borne disease.

April Showers bring Mosquitoes! Here Comes Heartworm Season!

4/3/2020

Everyone knows the little annoying bug that buzzes around, bites you, feeds on your blood, and goes around to its next victim. Yup, its a mosquito! Did you know those annoying bugs spread heartworm disease to your pets? It's true! Let's discuss what heartworm disease is, how it is spread, heartworm disease symptoms, and prevention.

Heartworms in a heart

National Poison Prevention Week is March 16th through the 22nd!

3/17/2020

We all have that small worry in our minds of our pets being poisoned and long hours spent at the clinic. Do we know what is considered toxic to pets though? More things are toxic to pets that we may think. Continue reading to find what can be harmful to your pet in you household and how to prevent the danger.

Food Danger 101

3/10/2020

I have a few quick questions for you to think about; do you feed your pet human food as a treat? If you answered yes, do you know if those human food treats are considered toxic to your pet? Now if your answer is you do not know what human foods are toxic to pets, pay attention because your pet's health is our priority. I think most pet owner's know grapes are toxic to dogs but what else is toxic? Let's go through what else is considered toxic to your pets.

Did you know this was toxic?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! February, Dental Month!

2/5/2020

It's time for one of our favorite months of the year, Dental month! Or, at least for some of us. February is declared National Pet Dental Month every year to spotlight the importance of dental health for our beloved pets.
When it comes to our pet's health, we all think about vaccinations, grooming appointments, medical issues. But many of us tend to forget our pet's dental care is a critical part of their health and happiness. Poor dental health can lead to a variety of painful health problems for dogs, cats, and horses. Being aware and proactive about your animal's health can make a difference in their life.

New Year, New Resolution for Walk Your Dog Month

1/16/2020

Did you know? January is Walk your Dog Month! That means it is time to start thinking about your pet's physical health, cats included. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), in 2018 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in the United States are over weight or obese. Is your pet apart of the over 50% overweight population? Let's find out and find the disadvantages of a few extra pounds.

'Tis The Season For a Christmas Pet

12/16/2019

It’s that time of year that we are all thinking about Christmas gifts for our loved ones. We all want to give something they will enjoy and cherish for years to come. Where does your mind go? A puppy! A kitten! As I’m sure everyone had heard by now, “you shouldn’t get a Christmas pet because you you’ll only add to the increased number of pets purchased for gifts, and then surrendered to the animal shelter when unwanted.” We would like to point out, that is not necessarily the case. Studies from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association both state there is no correlation or increased risk of surrendering of animals given as gifts. However, surrendering gift pets does still happen in situations. Did you know 7.6 million animals enter shelters every year? It’s true! Regardless of who said what, let’s make this a great holiday season for everyone (pets included).

So what are the common reasons why pets are returned to shelters at any point in time? Many new pet owners became overwhelmed with the costs of a pet, health issues (for the pet and/or the owners), disobedience, destructive behaviors, barking, hyper activity, and aggression. That’s a lot of reasons.

Thanksgiving is All About Giving

11/25/2019

This is the week we all treasure for its guarantee of football, a large array of desserts, and of course turkey. As we all gather for our holiday festivities, it is also important to think about your pets during these festivities. We all love to include our pets in the holidays and events going on, however is it best?
Unfortunately, there are increases in pets seen for intestinal upset, pancreatitis, and toxin ingestion. Lets make this Thanksgiving a safe one for everyone, pets included.