How to Recognize the Signs of Heatstroke in Your Dog
Did you know dogs are at risk of heatstroke? As the weather heats up, human bodies’ sweat as a way to regulate our body temperature, but our pups are at greater risk since they don't have sweat glands. If a dog gets overheated, this can lead to heatstroke and severe health issues -- and sometimes death. Even worse, it can happen in minutes.
Get the Scoop: What Your Pet's Poop is Telling You
We know it can be an icky subject to talk about- but there is a lot about your pet’s stool that can be an indicator of their health. Not only is it important to monitor what goes into their body, but it is also necessary to keep an eye on what’s coming out.
Top This! 5 Healthy Dog Food Toppers
Not everyone has time to cook meals for their dog, but with a little effort, you could try adding some healthy toppers to their dry food that you already give them! Here are the top 5 foods we suggest to give a try:
Bad Pet Breath? 10 Important Things You Need To Know...
Does your fido or fluffy have bad breath? That offensive odor could signify serious health risks for you beloved companion. February is National Pet Dental Month; which is a good time to paws & consider getting your dog's teeth or cat’s teeth cleaned!
A Pet's Guide To Weight Loss
Obesity is an accumulation of excessive energy stored by adipose (fatty) tissue sufficient enough to contribute to disease. It is the most common form of malnutrition in our companion animals and it is growing in frequency due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle coupled with highly-palatable, energy-dense food sources.
Obesity can significantly increase the risk of various diseases and can negatively impact both the quality of life as well as the life span of our pets.
Can Your Pet Get the Flu? What You Need to Know About CIV
The recent outbreak of canine influenza virus (CIV) in the Midwestern region of the United States has affected more than 1,000 dogs. Should you be worried?
As with all infectious and parasitic disease trends, our doctors have been closely following this issue and its possible indications for our clients and patients.
You just adopted a new dog! What's next?
First off, congratulations on your new pooch! Whether you just picked up a puppy from a breeder or an adult dog from a shelter or rescue group, there will be a period of adjustment for everyone in the family. Here are some do’s and don’ts and things to expect in the first 24 hours of your new adventure.
Can we make puppy visits at the vet more fun?
We love seeing puppies in the practice. We consider ourselves to be very lucky — we have the best job in the world! Our veterinary clinic, doing as much canine reproduction as we do, see many healthy litters of purpose bred dogs, healthy purebred dogs and others, every day.
When is an elective C-section safe?
This weekend, we have had 2 contacts with clients who have had c-sections done prematurely, because the doctors and staff at their veterinary clinics would be unavailable. This leads to unfortunate outcomes for the puppies and their owners. It’s not good for the veterinarians and their staffs either.
Dogs are only pregnant for 63 days. Puppies are not like human babies. There is only a 4 day window when puppies can safely be born.
Rabies in Humans – Does that Really Happen?
Yes, rabies still happens, even in Wisconsin, and even to humans. And yes, this is a highly emotionally charged issue for many people.
All the doctors and many of the staff members at Veterinary Village are immunized against rabies, preventively. Yes, humans can be vaccinated if they are in high risk of exposure categories – veterinarians, laboratory workers, people who work with wildlife.
One of our staff members was immunized and received the immunoglobulin because a rabies suspect bit her. She was treated after the bite to protect her.
Laryngeal Paralysis
Why is my dog’s breathing suddenly so loud? Should I worry about it?
There is a very scary respiratory condition we see in older dogs. This can start suddenly and be life – threatening. It is most commonly seen in Labrador retrievers but can be seen in other breeds as well. It usually affects dogs in their teens.
The condition is called Laryngeal Paralysis, or Lar Par for short. Many Labrador breeders and owners are familiar with it.
Why should a client with an intact dog be denied adoption of a Rescue dog?
As a busy veterinary clinic, we have contact daily with rescue organizations and rescue dogs and cats. We try to support as many as we can. We understand they have limited resources and a difficult job to do. I have taken in rescue dogs myself, primarily from Corgi rescue. At one point, my daughter was volunteering at a local humane society. A dog came in from the south, as most do in the Midwest, with heartworm disease. She was 11, and didn’t get along well with other dogs. And at the time, the medication for treating heartworm was unavailable to the humane society.
Breast Cancer Awareness – For Pets!
While we typically think of Breast Cancer as something for human women, we need to remember that this affects our female dogs and cats too! In animals it is called Mammary Gland Tumors, which doesn’t sound as scary, but in fact is the same issue that faces women. We are reaching out to you this month to spread the awareness of what Mammary Gland Tumors are, what the symptoms are, the treatment options, and how to prevent it.
Below is an article that our Dr. Greer had contribitued to back in 2011 for the Vin News Service:
Fecal Testing This Time of Year?
Fecals? Why this time of year?
In the spring and summer, our clients and our staff are really good about remembering to have stool / fecal samples checked, monitoring for the presence of intestinal parasites.
It is easy to remember to check our pet’s fecal when we are also looking at the blood for Heartworm, Lyme disease, Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis.
In the fall and winter, these things tend to fall by the wayside.
But why is it important?
Progesterone Test PLEASE!
This has been another busy week at Veterinary Village.
As you all know, we have a large following of breeders, really good breeders who do a really great job of providing well-bred dogs with important and predictable health and behavior qualities.
That being said, some lose track of their breeding timing. Why is that important? If you can get your dam pregnant without progesterone timing, why should you worry about timing her?
We had multiple dams due in the last 2 weeks without good timing.
Salvaging the best of a tragic situation
This morning, Dr. Kowaleski took a phone call from a deeply distraught client. Her beautiful, young male puppy had just been euthanized after he suffered a tragic accident.
To make a long story short, Dr. Kowaleski suggested to her that we could potentially harvest semen and freeze it if she felt like she could brave the thought and transport the patient to make it happen. She said she would speak to her co-owner and make a fast decision. She was able to rally the strength to load her beloved, promising puppy and bring him to us.
Welcome to Veterinary Village’s Blog!
For over 35 years, Veterinary Village has provided clients across Wisconsin and Northern Illinois with the highest quality veterinary care and services. Our practice specializes in canine breeding and reproduction services and is proud to serve both local and out-of-state breeders.