Yes, within limits. Bringing up a hairball once every week or two is nothing to worry about in a cat that is otherwise bright, eating well and leaving normal stools in the box. The wad of fur on the rug is a housekeeping problem, not a symptom. Where that limit sits depends on the cat. […]
Read Post »Your cat just threw up on the rug, again, and you are trying to work out whether this is another hairball or a reason to call the vet. Vomiting is not a disease by itself. It is a sign that something is upsetting the stomach or intestines, and sometimes an organ elsewhere in the body, […]
Read Post »Yes. A cat who has never set foot outside can still get fleas, because living indoors lowers the risk without closing every door, which is why flea prevention is recommended even for indoor-only pets. Fleas care about warmth, food, and shelter, and a home offers all three, whether or not a cat goes outdoors. A […]
Read Post »The short answer is that most natural flea remedies do not work on their own, and a handful of them can poison a pet. That is not what anyone wants to hear after finding a flea on the dog or a scatter of black flea dirt on the cat’s blanket. The instinct behind the question […]
Read Post »If you are choosing a kitten and hoping for one that rarely needs the vet, breed is a reasonable place to start. It is only a start. No cat breed comes with a health guarantee, and nutrition, preventive care, and the individual cat’s own genes matter as much as the label, the same conclusion we […]
Read Post »You ran a hand down your dog’s back after a walk and felt a small, firm bump, or you keep catching your cat chewing at the base of her tail. Either one could be a parasite, and whether it is a flea or a tick changes how fast you need to act. Most flea problems […]
Read Post »You probably have a puppy listing open, or a litter visit booked, and a reasonable wish not to spend the next decade in a vet’s waiting room. No breed is disease-proof, and the five below are not exceptions: every one of them has a known weak spot. Sturdy genetics, responsible screening, exercise, good food and […]
Read Post »It is the first properly cold morning of the year, and your dog is waiting at the door as usual. You are wondering how long dogs can safely stay outside in cold weather. A dog with a good coat, kept dry and moving, handles cold well. Fur traps air and insulates, and the body helps […]
Read Post »You come home to a scratched door frame, a puddle by the entrance, or a neighbor’s note about howling. That might be separation anxiety, but it might not be. Two different dogs leave the same marks. One panics the moment it is left alone, and the other simply had eight hours and nothing to do. […]
Read Post »Anxiety in dogs almost never starts with the behavior that finally gets noticed. By the time there is pacing, barking, or a chewed door frame, the episode has been running for a while, and the part of it that was easiest to do something about has already gone by. None of this means a dog […]
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