Animal Care Clinic Tips

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Is it OK for my puppy to play in the dog park?

  

  Posted 10:55 AM 7/1/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP Animal Care Clinic, San Luis Obispo

  Q: I have a 13 week puppy and was wondering if she is able to play at the dog park??? She has had some series of shots and we were told to wait until after she has her rabies shots? Is that true?

  A: You absolutely should wait. The rabies vaccine is not the crucial thing for her protection (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Why does my cat pull his hair out at night?

  

  Posted 10:28 AM 7/1/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP Animal Care Clinic, San Luis Obispo

  Q: Why does my cat pull his hair out at night. He is clean and brushed, but every morning he has plucked out some hair.

  A: This one is going to require a trip to the vet. The most common causes of this are fleas (which you may never see on your cat), inhaled allergies like hayfever, and (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  The Importance of Spaying Before First Heat

  

  Posted 3:32 PM 6/6/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP Animal Care Clinic, San Luis Obispo

  The first heat cycle in a dog is usually at 5-8 months of age, but can be as early as 4 months in some cases.

  Dogs then cycle about 1-2 times a year. They have a very different cycle than people do.

  The vast majority of veterinarians recommend spaying dogs and cats before they ever (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Coughing in Dogs

  

  Posted 4:29 PM 4/15/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP Animal Care Clinic

  Coughing can be a frustrating symptom, but it can also be a sign of very serious disease. Kennel cough is a contagious disease that is usually found in young animals who seem otherwise healthy (good appetite and lots of energy).

  When I hear "congestion" associated with coughing in dogs, I (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Riding In the Car

  

  Posted 9:00 AM 3/7/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  I love going for drives with my dogs. I have three of them. Zeke and Teague tend to sit together in the front seat. They are really too big for this, but manage to intertwine their legs enough to get comfortable. They trade off putting a head in my lap and both keep an eye on me to be sure I am (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Chronic Diarrhea

  

  Posted 1:31 PM 3/2/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  No one likes having diarrhea. Luckily, for all of us, most cases of diarrhea are short-lived and resolve themselves within a day or two. I'm not sure if there is anything in veterinary medicine more frustrating than chronic, or long-term, diarrhea.

  Whenever a dog or cat presents to Animal (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  When Cats Miss the Mark (the Box)

  

  Posted 11:35 AM 3/2/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  One of the most common veterinary behavior problems we hear about at Animal Care Clinic is a cat who fails to use the litterbox. This most commonly manifests itself as urinating in inappropriate places, but sometimes in involves feces. There is no doubt as to why this is an extremely upsetting (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Demodex Mites: What are they and ways to treat

  

  Posted 2:09 PM 2/22/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  Pamela has asked Animal Care Clinic if there is any treatment for Demodex besides a product called Promeris. The answer is a definite "yes!"

  Let's start by looking at what Demodex is. Demodex mites are microscopic insect-like creatures that normally live on the skin of many dogs and cats. (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Feeding Pets

  

  Posted 10:38 AM 1/13/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Many clients at Animal Care Clinic ask about how to feed their pets - free choice or meals. Veterinarians disagree to some extent as which is better, and there are medical benefits to both systems.Many owners find it convenient to leave food out all the time for their animals, especially cats. (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Caring For Feral Cats

  

  Posted 9:36 AM 1/5/2011 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  Janice has asked about a feral cat named Heckel who has something wrong with her lower jaw.

  Caring for feral or "wild" cats can be extremely frustrating. We find cat colonies developing in many areas in our county. Quite often, a good samaritan feeds the cats, but usually the cats will not (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Basic Manners

  

  Posted 9:38 AM 12/29/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM. Animal Care Clinic

  We have had several questions related to pet behavior on our KSBY Local Experts page. Pet owners have concerns about barking, biting, scratching, jumping, destructive behavior, animals getting into things, basic training and boundary training.

  Most of these problems stem from trying to (More)