Helpful tips, recent news, inspiring tales, cute photos and more fun stuff from The Drake Center.
National Pet Week 2019: Ideas for Celebrating with Your Pet
If you’re like most pet owners, showing appreciation for the furry companions who enrich our lives and make us happier and healthier is a daily event. That being said, life gets pretty hectic with work, family, and other obligations.
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Pet First Aid Tips: Preparing for an Emergency Trip to the Vet
If your dog or cat had an accident, would you know how to stabilize them before transporting them to the vet or to an emergency veterinary care center? The goal of National Pet First Aid Awareness Month in April is to ensure pet owners are aware of basic actions to take in the case of a pet-related emergency. Here are some tips to remember if your pet has an emergency:
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Top Spring Environmental Hazards for Pets to Avoid
By Nicole Abrego
Springtime is here! As we head to clear skies and warmer weather in gorgeous Encinitas, it’s important to keep in mind some of the hazards that our pets can encounter as they venture into the outdoors.
Here are some of the top Spring environmental hazards for your pets to avoid.
Foxtails:
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Puppy Biting: Why They Do It and How to Curb It
Have you ever held a dog toy in front of a puppy and let him “mouth” it? As you’ve probably noticed, puppies will put their mouth on most anything, and it’s completely normal since they use their teeth to explore the world around them and play with one another.
In fact, if you’ve watched puppies in a litter with their littermates, you’ll see that they climb all over one another and nip each other in an ongoing bout of exploration. When they’re a few weeks old, this can seem harmless, maybe even cute -- until one of those sharp teeth nips your hand a little too hard!
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Recognizing Signs of Pain in Your Pet
Pain is a clinically significant symptom that can adversely affect an animal’s quality of life—and the first step in treating it is recognizing and acknowledging it.
Our pets share the same anatomical and biochemical pain pathways that we do; therefore, we can expect their level of discomfort with certain conditions to be similar to ours. Unfortunately, they cannot tell us with words how they feel or where they hurt, but they can give us clues about their level of discomfort.
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How to Prep Your Pet for Boarding at The Drake Center
By Nicole Abrego
As we head into warmer weather in the coming months, a vacation getaway sounds like a great way to relax and enjoy the sun! But...what about your pet? As much as we would like to take Fido or Fluffy on a family vacation it may not be ideal to subject them to a long car or plane ride.
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Protecting Your Pets from Common Poisons
Most people think of bleach or rat poison when they think of household toxins. If that’s you, you’re right. Yet, there are many other less obvious items that could pose a hazard.
Take sugar-free gum for instance. Did you know that it contains xylitol, which can cause liver failure in your dog? The popular sugar substitute is also in certain brands of toothpaste and sweetener packets for coffee and tea. Yet, it can be deadly to your dog.
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