Posts in Category: Pet Safety

Does your dog howl, chew your shoes, or dig holes in your yard every time you leave the house? Do your cats vomit or stop eating altogether each time you spend a night away? Separation anxiety in pets is no fun for you or your furry friends. The team at Sky Canyon Animal Hospital would like to share ways to understand and solve the common behavioral issues we see in anxious pets. 

Long, floppy ears definitely add to canine cuteness, but they are partially responsible for chronic ear infections in dogs. Without adequate air flow and drainage, the dark, moist, warm inner ears become vulnerable to bacteria. In addition to breeds predisposed to ear infections, pups that suffer allergies and those that swim are at higher risk. 

If only there was a way that you could defend against permanent loss of separation of your pet. Wait: there is! Microchipping offers an extra layer of protection if your pet ever goes missing. Microchipping can facilitate a safe return home if your pet is ever picked up by animal control, shelter personnel, or a well-meaning individual. It is not, however, a replacement or substitute for a proper collar and ID tag. If you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about, we offer a few great reasons to microchip your pet.

Your pet’s musculoskeletal system, composed of bones, muscles, and tissue, stimulates and eases their body’s movements. Sometimes, however, the connections between the spine, the body’s structures, and the nervous system need to be restored. Veterinary chiropractic care focuses on manipulating the spine as a way to treat disease, reduce pain, and increase mobility. In essence, chiropractic adjustments can improve a pet’s quality of life.

No animal should have to endure pain, especially if we can treat it. Whether you have a pet that deals with chronic pain and inflammation, or is in a post-op recovery, cold laser therapy can help. Both non-invasive and highly effective, cold laser therapy for pets can be used alone or in conjunction with medication or other therapies to deliver fast results. 

If you had to run out of the house in an emergency, do you know what you would save first? Your pets are, of course, likely to be priority number one. In addition to your furry friends, however, there are some basic items you need to take to ensure they are safe and comfortable. Pre-preparing a pet emergency kit means you and your pets can be ready to go. 

If you prefer to build your own pet emergency kit, the staff at Sky Canyon Animal Hospital compiled a list of necessary items to have.

Most cat owners are painfully familiar with hairballs. An occasional sight of a cat hunching over, making wheezing sounds, and coughing up an elongated pile of stomach bile and fur isn’t always a cause for concern, but breathing difficulty is definitely alarming. Asthma in cats can sneak up on owners, so it’s best to be prepared for what it looks like and when it requires you to seek help.

Humans are creatures of habit, and yet we allow lots of things to fall through the cracks. Perhaps equally true is that we are, for the most part, prone to procrastination. Why do anything right away when it’s just as easy to do it later? However, when it comes to your pet’s parasite prevention, it is ideal to have them on a year-round schedule. That way, they are never vulnerable to the resilient, pervasive bugs that can cause problems in unprotected pets. 

It might seem a bit odd to have rules during the most wonderful time of the year, but without certain guard rails in place, risks to pet health skyrocket. With the influx of strangers around, indulgent foods in abundance, and attractive, dangling objects on display, pet emergencies are bound to happen around the holidays. The good news is that you can guard against them with our tips for ultimate holiday pet safety. 

The great outdoors is a magical place for dogs and cats. There are critters to chase and sunny spaces for naps. There are delivery people to bark at and neighbors who stop by for a visit. “Oh, what a beautiful cat,” they say. “My, how your beagle has grown!” But outdoors can be scary too. How can you keep your outside pets safe? Your veterinarians at Sky Canyon Animal Hospital have some outdoor pet safety tips ready for you!