Posts in Category: The Cat’s Meow

Just like us, cats and dogs can benefit from consistent and thoughtful wellness routines. It is important to establish a wellness plan right when you bring your pet home, as this will ensure optimal health promotion and disease prevention. As your pet grows, their health needs will change over time. The staff at The Whole Pet Vet Hospital and Wellness Center have compiled a list of things you can do to support your pet’s wellness at any stage in life.

Whether it’s a dog, cat, or llama, you’re probably always looking for a way to make your pet feel a little extra special. Pampering your pet is not only a great way to show affection, but the extra attention and care may help you and your pet form a more lasting and meaningful bond. Here are our top 5 ways to let your furry, scaly, or befeathered friend know how much you appreciate them:

Anal glands are located on either side of your dog’s rectum. When your dog defecates, the glands express a uniquely scented fluid onto the feces that identifies your dog from any other. When you see dogs sniffing the backend of another dog, they can tell from this scent if they’ve met before, if the dog is healthy, aggressive, and more!

Jumping to conclusions is part of human nature—especially if we’re faced with something frightening or confusing. When pet owners find new growths on or just under a pet’s skin, it’s natural to worry about them and assume the worst. 

A lump or bump on your pet should never be ignored.  It may turn out to be nothing serious, or it could mean something more. Put your mind at ease and have them examined. We can determine if it’s a problem that needs to be addressed, or simply monitored throughout your pet’s life.

Oh, cats. You regale us with your chirpy hunting skills, warm us with your snuggly bellies, and inspire us through your dazzling acrobatics. But when it comes to understanding and admiring cat behavior, one thing is very clear: their tail acts like a barometer, and it’s up to us to know what it all means.

Swish and Flick

Cat body language uses various body parts to convey fairly precise emotions. The ears, whiskers, and eyes, for example, are all expressive and depending on the cat’s mood, they have an impressive range to them.

At The Whole Pet Vet Hospital & Wellness Center, we love cats. These extraordinary creatures amaze us day in and out with their beauty, resilience, and resolve. Each of us has our weaknesses, though, and for many cats their weak spot seems to be their renal system. 

Feline chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a commonly diagnosed problem in our purring patients. In fact it is the most common condition diagnosed in our cat population over 10 years of age, making it very important for our pet parents to understand and acknowledge.

Of all the fantastic feline features, perhaps it’s their whiskers that are the most predominant. After all, when asked to draw a cat, a child is highly likely to include an array of whiskers on either side of the nose. 

Even though cats are typically characterized by their whiskers, the general consensus about their purpose is less obvious. Cat whiskers are actually quite amazing, and our favorite felines wouldn’t be themselves without them.

Cats are cool creatures. From their gravity-defying jumps to their strange little hunting noises, domestic felines command everyone’s attention. Part of what makes them so interesting, though, is their relative weirdness. Yes, their sleek appearance and debonair stare come first, but they definitely come equipped with a few odd – and yet universally feline – behaviors. Which cat behavior is your favorite? Continue…

For anyone who has had or currently has cats, you know that they are special creatures. They are clever, independent, can be amazingly sweet, and have the athletic prowess of Olympic athletes. It’s no surprise that we love our cats and want to keep them well. But cats are masters at hiding signs of illness, pain, and discomfort from us. That’s why The Whole Pet Vet is focusing on our unique approach to cat health and wellness.

Basic Instincts

In the wild, cats who show weakness are a target for predators. A survival instinct from long ago causes our cats to disguise any sign of illness or discomfort as a way to protect themselves. This means that you may not notice anything is wrong until disease is well advanced.

Here’s why a regular program of cat health and wellness care is so important. Simply put, wellness care means regularly scheduled and timely veterinary visits for seemingly healthy and well cats. Continue…