Your house cat likely isn’t offered nearly as many enrichment activities as your dog, unless they are leash-trained. While your pooch is out and about, sniffing a thousand different scents each day, your cat is reduced to eating and sleeping inside. Feline enrichment reduces your indoor cat’s boredom and stress. Like puzzles for people and [...]
Before rushing out to bring home the first pup who catches your eye, schedule a family meeting and ask every family member to answer the following pet-selection questions. Question: Why do we want a dog? Answer: In addition to the obvious adorable factor, why does your family really want a dog? Do you want a [...]
Learning a new language is never easy, especially from an entirely different species. While many pet owners believe they understand what their dog is saying, they often make mistakes. For example, if your dog is wagging their tail, that does not automatically mean they’re happy. It can also be a sign of high arousal, intense [...]
If you live in Texas, you cannot use cold-weather excuses to snuggle up on the couch with your pet and avoid exercising outdoors. With more than half the U.S. pet population tipping the scales to the overweight or obese side, daily exercise is a must to shed those extra pounds. Additional weight can create a [...]
Remember when you were a child and your parents gave you $10 for every A on your report card? That cash acted as a huge incentive to try to get all A’s on every report card. This is known as positive reinforcement, which can work equally well with your pet, although, of course, money won’t [...]
Pets are naturally predisposed to a variety of medical conditions as their bodies and minds grow older. One common, yet often under-diagnosed condition, is cognitive dysfunction. Similar to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in people, cognitive dysfunction is typically a slow-moving process that affects your pet’s mental function. Let’s take a look at three pets who [...]
When welcoming home a new puppy, you may be so focused on cuddles on the couch, games of fetch, and that puppy breath smell, you may forget about all the work that goes into raising a puppy. Setting your puppy up for success takes a great deal of effort, but the work is totally worthwhile [...]
Does your heart rate increase when you think about going to the doctor? Your pet may also experience white coat syndrome, but they do not understand that their veterinary visits help them live longer, healthier lives. As Austin’s first Fear Free-certified veterinary hospital, we understand the importance of a pleasant veterinary experience for your pet. [...]
When you bring home a tiny, vulnerable ball of fluff, you want to cuddle your new puppy nonstop, carry them everywhere, and protect them from the world. But, sheltering your new pup can do more harm than good. In fact, your puppy’s critical socialization window—from 3 to 14 weeks of age—is the best time for [...]
Many pets and their owners dread going to veterinarian. Whether the visit is for a simple check up or a more involved procedure, we cannot communicate to our pets that everything will be OK. New smells, sights, and sounds from other animal patients understandably make pets anxious and reluctant to participate. Fortunately, tools are available [...]
