Dog heartworm is a dreaded diagnosis that can mean extreme discomfort for your dog, but it’s also a disease that is highly preventable. Thanks to effective monthly preventatives, dogs are suffering from heartworm disease far less frequently and enjoying a high quality of life. However, no preventative measure is 100 percent effective; therefore, dog owners must know the signs and symptoms of heartworm so quick action can be taken when suspected.

Not everyone has an energetic personality, a lifestyle that allows for daily trips to the dog park, or a love of hiking with a dog running the trails alongside them. Some people want the companionship of a pet, but perhaps health issues, a tiring job, or an introverted personality mean the best kind of pet for them is calm, low maintenance, and enjoys cuddles more than dog parks. This doesn't mean a dog isn't the right pet for them, but they need to choose the breed carefully.

As veterinarians, we’ve noticed that many people tend to think that rabies is a thing of the past, but, unfortunately, that’s not the reality. According to the CDC, approximately 5,000 animal rabies cases are reported annually, with more than 90 percent of those occurring in wildlife. So while dogs and cats are no longer getting rabies as much as they did in the mid-1900s, the principal hosts in the U.S. today are raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.

This article was written in response to the June 10th, 2021 report of the 34 pets (33 dogs and one cat) entering the United States through O’Hare Airport from Azerbaijan, as one of the dogs in the group tested positive for rabies in Pennsylvania. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a multi-state public health investigation after at least 12 people were exposed to the rabid dog imported from overseas. The location of the other imported pets has not been released.

As veterinarians, we pick and choose our battles with pet owners on certain things. For example, although we highly recommend microchipping your pets to avoid the heartache of not getting a lost pet returned to you, we would never force that on anyone. In the case of vaccinations, however, we can’t emphasize enough just how important they are to your pet’s wellness.

From their super soft fur and sleep barking to their smelly breath and, yes, even their razor-sharp biting teeth, puppies are just the cutest. But if you've recently adopted one, you hopefully realize that there is more to dog wellness than a steady flow of kisses from your family members (although those are good, too). One of the key parts of getting your pup on a path to wellness is dog vaccinations and, if you are new to the puppy game, you might have questions.

When the current outbreak of novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, first came to light in December 2019, researchers indicated that animals were the likely source of the virus. So people are naturally asking, "Can my pet contract and transmit this virus?" That question has become even more valid after one dog - the pet of an infected owner in Hong Kong - recently tested "weak positive" for the virus.

New pet adopters and experienced dog owners alike may wonder, "What is the parvovirus (parvo)? How does my dog get parvo? Can parvo spread to humans and other animals?"