Posts in Category: Pet Wellness and Preventive Care

Are you looking for the perfect pooch to suit your family dynamic? The dog lovers from Bayside Animal Hospital are here to help! 

California is a pretty great place to live when you are a dog. Nowhere is without potential pitfalls, however, and one danger of the West Coast lifestyle is the sago palm. At Bayside Animal Hospital we see our fair share of pets having dangerous encounters with this toxic plant. We hope with a little education, our pet parents will have a better understanding about sago palm toxicity in dogs and how to avoid this common concern.

Dog allergies are itchy business, and we treat many pets with allergies here at Bayside Animal Hospital. If your dog is constantly scratching, biting, or licking part of his body, or if his fur is missing in places, he could have allergies. Read on for an explanation of common dog allergies and symptoms, and what to do if you suspect that your pup has allergies. 

High temps can be hard for pets to tolerate, especially seniors, overweight pets, and those with certain medical conditions. Dog breeds with flat faces, such as pugs and bulldogs, are also at a higher risk of heat-related illness, as are snub-nosed cats like Persians and Himalayans.  

Dog trembling or quivering is often associated with small breeds, like chihuahuas, but dogs of any size can experience the shivers and shakes. Many things can cause shaking or trembling in dogs. 

Sometimes the culprit is obvious. Is your small dog shaking because he’s cold or happy to see you? Those are easy fixes. But if your dog suddenly starts to tremble for no apparent reason, it’s important to contact your veterinarian to rule out the possibility that an illness or injury is to blame. 

Does your dog shiver or tremble? If so, read on for potential causes. The team at Bayside Animal Hospital is here to help you understand why your favorite canine companion is shaking or trembling and what you can do to help your four-legged friend.

Puppies are furry little bundles of energy that live life with gusto, whether they’re playing fetch, pouncing through the park, or licking the face of their favorite human. But when they attack their food bowl with the same fervor, it can be bad for their health.

At Bayside Animal Hospital, we love caring for your cuddly new additions and offering you advice on all aspects of puppy parenting. If you’ve got a dog eating fast, we’ve got tips to help you tame this bad habit.

Cleaning up the occasional hairball is par for the course when it comes to taking care of cats. And for the most part, hairballs are nothing to worry about. But how do you know if your coughing cat has a harmless hairball or some other more serious medical condition?

At Bayside Animal Hospital, we love keeping your cats healthy with routine wellness visits and treatments for illnesses when you need them. We’re happy to help demystify the reasons why your cat might cough and how to know when a call to the veterinarian is warranted.  

Because cats put up such a fight regarding their travel kennel, the car, and being poked and prodded by strangers, they don’t always receive preventative veterinary care that could influence their quality and quantity of life. Bringing your cat to the vet can be trying in the best of times…and almost impossible in the worst. By establishing a pattern of positive, rewarding veterinary visits once or twice a year (depending on your cat’s age and medical history), you’re able to achieve and maintain optimal feline health. 

When people become ill, they use the power of language to describe what’s wrong, or where it hurts. Animals don’t have that luxury. Instead, thanks to their biological instincts to avoid looking weak, they try to mask their symptoms or simply hide, away from household noise, activity, and observation. Although it might help them from becoming prey in the wild, it also reduces their chance of immediate medical care. 

Our pets don’t speak our language, and yet they communicate with us all the time. While it would be cool to have two-sided conversations with them, we can infer a great deal about what they’re thinking and feeling. Body language is their primary tool, and it’s essential we watch and listen closely. Animal behavior can be mysterious or confusing, but it can also be incredibly straightforward once you know the basics.