Pet Health

This article was originally published in Danville Register & Bee. It was a busy afternoon at Danville Family Vet when a young couple came in, carrying a small and scared puppy. Tears streamed down their faces as they explained that their beloved pet had swallowed a screw while playing in the backyard. It was clear…

Most of the time it is a struggle! We do this crazy dance around the room seeking to restrain pets with a gentle control that lets us safely trim their nails. They hate having their nails trimmed! We have to hold the foot still in order to trim the nails properly, but dogs (and Cats!)…

Iris is about 12 years old, her cataracts have rendered her completely blind, and her eyes have a beautiful pearlescent shine that mirrors her personality.  She was found in Pittsylvanina County wandering in the middle of the road. We will never know what her life was like before she was found, but Iris’ story is…

World Rabies Day is September 28, 2015, and Rabies Awareness Week is September 28 – October 3. This is a good time to remind everyone how important it is to keep your pet’s rabies vaccination up to date. Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system of almost all mammals. It does not…

Is your pet a “senior citizen”? If your pet is seven years or older, he is considered a mature or senior pet. Some people are surprised by this fact. Pets do age faster than we do, and as your pet ages, there are several medical conditions that can occur. Common conditions that are seen in older…

I love to eat! Actually, I love to overeat! I try to stick to a heart-healthy diet, but I end up in the same cycle of eating. I start out doing really well, eating a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, but as time goes by, I start to each processed foods, sweets and other…

Yes, you can clean your pets’ teeth at home. I know dental hygienists who clean their personal pet’s teeth at home and it really makes a difference! The unfortunate thing about our pet’s teeth is that they are much more prone to periodontal disease (inflammation and infection around the roots of the teeth), and cleaning in…

What happens when your dog or cat gets spayed or neutered? I think my cat’s in heat, when can I get her spayed? What is a spay anyway? I get these questions all the time. Let’s follow along with Izzy as she comes in for her surgery and we will see what happens throughout the…

Remember the Dustin Hoffman movie, “Outbreak” from the nineties?  Will we one day have our city walled off by CDC officials lumbering around in white plastic airtight suits?  I think those scenes are exciting for movies, but it’s unlikely that we will ever see them play out in reality. The Ebola scare is an important…