Enjoying the Great Outdoors with Your Dog

Camping outdoors with your dog is a great way to bond with petsCamping? Yes. Hiking? Absolutely! Relaxing lakeside? You bet! For those of us dog-owning nature-lovers, there’s no better time of year than summer. With warm temps and sunny days, nothing sounds better than getting out on the trail or camping in the woods.

Of course, enjoying the outdoors with your dog offers many benefits, including exercise, socializing, and increased bonding with your best pal. However, it’s important to take caution when getting outside with your dog.

Cover Your Bases

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you probably have more than enough gear for your own safety and comfort. Likewise, your dog should also be properly outfitted with the right hiking or camping gear.

Before heading outdoors with your dog, make sure you have the following: Continue…

The Dangers of Standing Water: Understanding Leptospirosis in Dogs

leptospirosis in dogs is a zoonotic disease that can affect both pet health and human health.Leptospirosis in dogs started to receive attention in the 1980s, but in the decades since, this potentially serious zoonotic disease (and a leading cause of acute renal failure) has become a looming reason to fear the great outdoors. However, even dogs who aren’t fishing or hunting companions can contract it. As a result, preventing leptospirosis in dogs is a serious endeavor, and it’s one we give top priority to this time of the year.

The Source

Leptospira bacteria, in its many strains, causes leptospirosis in dogs and may be spread through the following ways:

  • Urine
  • Contaminated soil or water
  • Direct contact with an infected animal (while less common, reports are far from rare)

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A Formidable Foe: FIP in Cats

FIP in catsWhen it comes to diagnosing and treating diseases in our pet patients, there are some that our team at Summeridge Animal Clinic expect a more promising prognosis than others. Sadly, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease that we are loathe to meet.

FIP in cats is a serious disease that often eludes diagnosis and is somewhat unpredictable. It is also a disease for which we are lacking effective treatment options.

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