Same-day appointments now available! Call us at (704) 527-2030!
Blog2022-10-18T11:38:42+00:00

Vitamins and Supplements

About 30% of dogs take supplements for both age-related problems and to achieve optimal health. Here are the most common supplements and their applications. Vitamins – [...]

Winter Enrichment for your Pets

Everyone wants to hibernate during the winter months, especially your pets. However, staying active is important for your pets to maintain their health. Here are some [...]

Microchipping your Pet

Microchipping your pet is an important safety measure. If you pet gets out or loses its collar, finding your pet can be speedy and easy. Shelters [...]

Wellness Testing

One of the trickiest things about being a good pet parent is knowing when your furry friend needs medical care. Sometimes it’s obvious, but other times [...]

Declaw Surgery for Cats

Scratching is a natural cat behavior, but it can be destructive in a household. Declaw surgery generally involves the removal of all or a portion of the last [...]

Does Your Dog Have Worms?

Regardless of how careful you are as a pet owner, intestinal parasites seem to be a very common problem in dogs. Whether it’s from eating an [...]

Your Pet’s Dental Health

Does your pet have bad breath? Bad breath isn’t just unpleasant, it can be unhealthy. Up to 80% of dogs and 70% of cats that do [...]

Tick-Borne Diseases

Spring and summer in our area mean it's tick season. Even dogs and cats that spend only brief periods of time outdoors can be susceptible to [...]

Swine Influenza and You

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally [...]

Parasites and Your Pet

Are you itching to protect your pets from parasites? Here is a resource for all your parasite prevention questions and needs. Did you know? A single [...]

International Travel with Pets

If you plan to travel internationally with your pet, be aware that there may be special health certificates and vaccination requirements for the country you plan [...]

Facts About Canine Influenza

Dog flu is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs caused by a specific Type A influenza virus referred to as a “canine influenza virus.” This is [...]

Preventatives – Part 2

Let's go over the common parasites and the preventatives we prefer to use to treat and prevent them. I’ll talk about heartworms since they are the [...]

Bravecto

Bravecto is a flea and tick preventative that St. Francis Hospital for Animals recommends for all dogs and cats over 6 months of age. The chemical [...]

Bravecto Updated!

Flea and tick preventatives are extremely important, especially when the weather gets warmer, we will see more fleas and ticks coming out due to the change [...]

Acute Colitis

Acute colitis is a very common occurrence in our patients at St. Francis. It is defined as a sudden onset of colonic inflammation, manifesting with diarrhea [...]

Acute Colitis – Part 2

Chronic colitis is defined as persistent signs of colonic inflammation, having greater than 3 weeks duration. The same signs are seen with acute colitis but an [...]

Hyperthyroidism in Cats

Hyperthyroidism in cats is a common condition in middle-aged to geriatric felines, which has many effects on the body if left untreated. The disease is usually [...]

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an uncommon disease in dogs and cats. Simply put, it means an increase in the pressure inside the eyeball, leading to internal damage, pain, [...]

Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease is a problem that is seen commonly in middle-aged to geriatric cats, and less so in older dogs. It is to be differentiated [...]

Ear Infections

Ear infections are more often seen in dogs, and sometimes seen in cats. They range from mild to severe, acute to chronic, and causes for them [...]

Flea Bite Allergies

A flea bite allergy is a type that is seen often at our clinic. It is seen in dogs and cats of any age but is [...]

Atopic Dermatitis

Allergies can present in many ways, and be caused by many things. The term “atopic dermatitis” is a general name for an allergic skin disease due [...]

Lily Toxicity in Cats

Lilies are a popular ornamental plant in homes, especially around Easter time. Unfortunately, lilies can be highly toxic to cats if they ingest any part of [...]

Ultrasounds

This article is on the use of ultrasound in veterinary medicine. This diagnostic tool can be very useful in the evaluation of organs inside the body [...]

Dental Health

Dental disease is the most common disease in companion animals and affects all breeds of cats and dogs. There are methods of prevention, and care that [...]

Feline Cystitis

Feline lower urinary tract disease is also known as feline idiopathic cystitis. This is a condition that is commonly seen in our practice and can range [...]

Chocolate Toxicity

This article is about chocolate toxicity in dogs. As with all toxicities, it is dose-dependent (how much is eaten), and variable in effect on an animal. [...]

Cushing’s Disease

Hyperadrenocorticism is also known as Cushing’s disease. This is a relatively common problem in dogs and rare in cats. It is a syndrome that is caused [...]

Our Pharmacy

What is the difference between buying medications from St. Francis Hospital for Animals versus purchasing them from an online pharmacy? This is a controversial topic amongst [...]

Rabies Vaccine

The Rabies vaccine is a very important vaccination that all of our pets should have, and are legally required to have. Rabies is a viral neurological [...]

Distemper Vaccine

What is the DHPP vaccine? What is the DHLPP vaccine? How do they differ and why do our dogs need them? What we call the “Distemper” [...]

Go to Top